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Completed project

Voluntary return from Norway

Voluntary assisted return programs for asylum seekers and irregular migrants in Norway
Project period 2013–2015
Project employer Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI)
Project nr. 10015

The aim of the research is to identify key factors that influence voluntary assisted return of third country nationals from Norway. With assistance from the International Organization of Migration, Norwegian authorities support failed asylum seekers and other non-EEA citizens that return to their country of origin.

The project is commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration as a joint venture between Christian Michelsens Institutt, Institute for Social Research (Oslo), The University of Bergen and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

The research project will discuss the Norwegian return- and reintegration programs both from the perspectives of the Norwegian authorities and the migrants. Based on interview data and the statistical analyses we will discuss how each nationality must be understood as separate migration systems with specific traits and with its own sensibility towards return incentives. We look at bilateral movements for a selection of nationalities based on the relevant programs. We also seek to gain understanding of patterns and comparative elements. Changing conditions in the migrants´ home countries and the existence of transnational networks are pivotal for the understanding of return movements are all significant elements brought into the discussion.

The research is a two-module study. The first module consists of data that has been gathered in Norway and opens for discussions of what elicits voluntary assisted return. This will be followed by reintegration in a selection of countries of origin, i.e. in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Kosovo. The second report from the study will include an overall analysis covering both thereturnand thereintegrationaspects of the Norwegian policy and practice.

Participants

Jan-Paul Brekke Dr. polit. Research Director, Equality, inclusion, migration +47 918 79 903 Send e-mail
Hilde Lidén Dr. polit. Research Professor +47 951 23 660 Send e-mail
Mari Teigen Dr. polit. Research professor, Director CORE – Centre for Research on Gender Equality +47 482 07 137 Send e-mail
Published Jan. 21, 2014 9:37 AM - Last modified Feb. 26, 2024 11:09 PM