IOM study: Surge in migrant returnees as world reels from pandemic

Global – The 2021 Return and Reintegration Key Highlights, a report by IOM (International Organization for Migration) was published on Thursday, states that nearly 50,000 migrants have voluntarily returned to their country of origin in 2021. 

Global Migration had recorded a record decline by around 27 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lockdowns across nations. But these numbers are now rebounding as world reels from pandemic. In 2021, IOM reports of having assisted 49,795 migrants return to their countries of origin, thereby recording an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year. 

Yitna Getachew, Head of the agency’s Protection Division, said that “this publication highlights IOM’s ability to meet an increasing demand by migrants for safe and dignified returns as well as to support their reintegration into the countries of origin following the lifting of many travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic.” 

A noted by Yitna Getachew, the 2021 Return and Reintegration Key Highlights underlines the success of IOM in meeting increased demand for assistance towards returning of migrants. 

According to the IOM report, Niger was the largest beneficiary of IOM’s efforts to assist in dignified returns in 2021. IOM had helped a total of 10,573 migrants head home country. 

The most critical part of the voluntary returning assistance programmes is the presence of “reintegration schemes”. These schemes provide vast opportunities to returning migrants and promotion of their sustainable development. 

In 2021, “IOM offices in 121 countries worldwide, supported 113,331 reintegration activities at the individual, community, and structural level”. The top three countries that offered reintegration support to IOM in 2021 to the migrants are Germany, Guinea and Nigeria. “The aim of these multi-dimensional schemes are to ensure a level of economic self-sufficiency, social stability and psychological wellbeing, that make’s further migration a choice rather than necessity”, IOM noted.