First Reintegration Conference Held
On 24 May 2023, Frontex hosted its first annual reintegration conference. The conference was directed at authorities from EU and Schengen countries, Frontex reintegration partners, the European Commission, and international experts on migration.
In different panels, participants discussed issues such as the impact of well-tailored pre-departure assistance in EU and Schengen countries on reintegration outcomes. They also addressed support possibilities for returnees through the involvement of different actors such as private sector diaspora organisations, associations of returnees, service providers, and public services.
Reintegration assistance is part of the agency's 2022 Reintegration Programme, which offers an EU-standardised reintegration programme to all EU Member States through so-called joint reintegration services. For non-EU nationals returning to their home countries, these services are performed by Frontex’s global reintegration partners. At the moment, these partners include Caritas International Belgium, Women Empowerment, Literacy and Development Organization (WELDO), International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA), European Technology and Training Centre (ETTC), and Life Makers Foundation. To ensure the quality of these services, a dedicated quality monitoring framework is currently being developed together with the European Commission.