Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) published today (24/11) a new report: “Mentoring Returnees: Study on Reintegration Outcomes Through a Comparative Lens”. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Samuel Hall think tank and the University of Sussex, analyses the outcomes of reintegration in three fieldwork countries—Guinea, Morocco, and Senegal—combined with data analyses from 14 additional countries.  

The work is based on standardized indicators developed during a 2017 Samuel Hall/IOM study conducted as part of the DFID-funded Mediterranean Sustainable Reintegration Project, complemented by qualitative primary data collected in the three fieldwork states.  

“It is one of the first, if not the first, systematic large-scale use of data from IOM’s reintegration sustainability survey combined with the “Operationalising an Integrated Approach to Reintegration” (ORION) Mentoring project,” said Professor Michael Collyer of the University of Sussex. “This is a very interesting approach to working in Guinea, Senegal and Morocco focusing to develop mentorships of people who have returned to further enhance the sustainability of reintegration.” 

The results of this research highlight the interconnectedness of reintegration dimensions with the economic dimension being foundational, while social and psychosocial support are needed to consolidate and sustain reintegration gains. Psychosocial support cannot be considered an ‘optional extra,’ rather it is a crucial component to a healthy and sustainable reintegration process.    

“Another key result is the small, but statistically significant, positive impact of the ORION mentoring approach on reintegration,” explained Nassim Majidi, Co-Director of Samuel Hall. “Having mentors working with returnees ensures better reintegration outcomes. These early successes and trust built by ORION mentors need to be built further upon,” noted Majidi.  

“We see this study as the beginning of more investigation and evaluation that we can conduct on the critical issue of sustainable reintegration” added Nicola Graviano, Head of IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Unit. 

“We have a huge potential to do more and know more about our interventions, so that we can improve in the future in better designing and implementing our reintegration interventions, and be more impactful for the migrants, for the communities of origin and for the countries of origin that we support.”   

The research presented in the report was conducted under the “Operationalising an Integrated Approach to Reintegration” (ORION) Project, funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The ORION project aims at, among other objectives, reinforcing evidence-based reintegration programming with robust monitoring processes and data collection.   

To read a summary of the report, please click here. The full report is available here.   

For more information, please contact IOM HQ in Geneva: Safa Msehli, Tel: +41 79 403 5526, Email:  smsehli@iom.int