At least since 2015, the European understanding of international migration has been predominantly shaped by pictures of refugees fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East and sub-Sahara Africa. Some of them found refuge in Europe, while others were deemed ineligible for international protection under the Geneva Convention. This latter group subsequently becomes the target of ‘return policies’, which aim to relocate rejected asylum seekers and other unauthorised migrants to their countries of nationality or prior residence.
Europe’s political leaders often say that this should be done voluntarily if possible, but forcefully if necessary. In line with this official mantra, most EU states are willing to both ‘support’ returns and violently carry them out. Such support is provided under so-called assisted voluntary return (AVR) programmes, which are commonly framed as a more humane and dignified alternative to deportation. But both measures essentially serve the same goal: to ensure that those denied the right to stay do not.
AVR programmes can be operated by NGOs as well as governments, and both are often facilitated by the International Organization for Migration. In both Austria and the Netherlands, most of the operational capacity lies in the hands of IOM and NGOs. Officially, these programmes work towards a sustainable future for the persons involved, usually by providing tailored counselling sessions, financial and in-kind re-integration packages, and training. Much of this work is done by dedicated counsellors, who justify their role in terms of ‘providing options’ and ‘helping’ displaced populations to realise the mobility aspirations they are expected to have given that their asylum or immigration claim has been rejected. Messages like ‘Thinking of returning to your country? We can help you’ are part of this rhetoric.
