Returning with "StarthilfePlus" , Date: 2023.03.21, format: project (finished), area: Authority

The research project (2017 - 2023) examined the return motives and reintegration processes of returnees who are supported in the federal programme "StarthilfePlus".

In February 2017, the federal government introduced the "StarthilfePlus" return assistance programme as a complement to the Federal-Länder programme REAG/GARP (Reintegration and Emigration Programme for Asylum-Seekers in Germany/Government Assisted Repatriation Programme). The programme supports destitute migrants, including those who are obliged to leave the country, with flexible support services for voluntary return to selected countries of return. The scientific monitoring of the programme by the Research Centre of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) aimed at gaining insights into return processes that are relevant for the further advancement of "StarthilfePlus" and for the overall orientation of return assistance. The multi-year research project took place in two project phases linked by a longitudinal research design.

The first phase of the project

The first phase of the project examined how returnees perceive the programme, what significance the support services have for the decision to return and for reintegration, and how they fare during the initial period at the place of return. For this purpose, 1,339 people in eleven countries - including Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran - were interviewed about six to eight months after their departure. In addition, expert interviews were conducted with staff of return counselling centres on their experiences from counselling practice in Germany, as well as with counsellors in the IOM national offices. The first project phase was concluded in November 2019 with the publication of a research report.

The second phase of the project

The second phase of the project examined the long-term reintegration of returnees and its development over time. This involved re-contacting study participants in nine return countries approximately three years after their return. A standardised telephone survey was conducted with a total of 906 persons. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 20 female returnees were obtained to gain deeper insights into the reintegration experiences of women. The second phase of the project was concluded in March 2023 with the publication of a research report.