Making sure the human rights of returning migrants are respected,
building a climate of trust with the returning migrant; providing
assistance to vulnerable groups upon return are some of the key
issues addressed in IOM’s new handbook Coping with Return,
which will be presented in Brussels tomorrow.



The handbook, developed by the IOM office in The Hague, aims to
contribute to the harmonization of approaches and the development
of common standards in voluntary return assistance within the
European Union.



The handbook contains an overview of methodologies and best
practices on voluntary return assistance in the enlarged European
Union.  It draws special attention to the sustainable
voluntary return of vulnerable migrants, such as unaccompanied
minors, victims of trafficking and families with children.



“Orderly returns are an integral part of migration
management,” says Joost van der Aalst, IOM Chief of Mission
in The Hague.  “However, the protection of the basic
rights of returnees can become a bone of contention as some
returning states tend to consider protection as an obstacle to the
prompt return of unauthorized persons whilst countries of origin
can complain that their nationals have been mistreated. 
Returns can be best managed when based on a set of interrelated
principles of common interest to all parties.  This is what
this handbook seeks to achieve.”



The handbook is co-funded by the European Commission under the 2004
European Refugee Fund Programme and by several Ministries of
Interior, Ministries of Justice and the IOM Missions in Austria,
Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovakia.  It
is available at "http://www.iom-nederland.nl" target="_blank" title=
"">www.iom-nederland.nl.

For more information, please contact

Joost van der Aalst

IOM The Hague

Tel: + 31 70 318 1500

E-mail: "mailto:jvanderaalst@iom.int" target="" title=
"">jvanderaalst@iom.int