Voluntary return

Belgium organises returns on a voluntary basis for people living in our country without a permanent residence permit and who have decided to return to live in their home country. Fedasil is the government agency responsible for the voluntary return programme from Belgium. The return journey is organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) or by Fedasil itself. The journey is generally made by plane, but for visa-free European countries, it takes place by bus.

More information on: www.fedasil.be/en/voluntary-return

A large public

The voluntary return programme is aimed at all people who do not have a residence permit in Belgium, namely applicants for international protection in the middle of the procedure, applicants who have been turned down, and migrants in irregular situation who have never applied for international protection. Often, it concerns migrants who have to or want to leave Belgium, but do not have the financial or logistical resources required to do so.

A free decision

Returns are voluntary: it is the person who makes the decision to return. Furthermore, after applying, the person is always free to reconsider this decision and decide not to leave. In this respect, voluntary returns are fundamentally different from forced returns, which are the responsibility of the Immigration Office (Office des étrangers).

An accessible programme

The programme is designed to be as much accessible as possible: whatever the person’s situation, they can decide to return at any moment. To remain easily accessible, Fedasil has return desks in several major cities and is assisted by a large network of organisations able to inform and prepare people for their voluntary return.

Support for reintegration

The voluntary return programme may also include reintegration assistance in the country of origin to contribute to a realistic return: everything is done to make things easier for the returnee and to support them as best as possible throughout the first year of their return. For the implementation of reintegration projects, Fedasil works with two organisations which benefit from a network of partners in different regions of the world: Caritas and IOM.