From 1 January 2010 to 27 January 2012, IOM Helsinki has arranged the voluntary return of more than 550 persons from Finland to their home countries. The returnees, mainly asylum seekers, have returned through the project "Developing Assisted Voluntary Return in Finland (DAVRiF)," organised by IOM Helsinki and the Finnish Immigration Service. The project was launched at the beginning of 2010 to help people from non-EU coutries to return to their home countries voluntarily.

Assisted voluntary returns have so far been arranged to more than 40 different countries or regions. The largest return destinations have been Iraq, Russia, Serbia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The number of applications for assisted voluntary return has increased rapidly, even though the overall number of asylum seekers in Finland has decreased. In 2010, 386 persons applied for assisted voluntary return, whereas the figure in 2011 was 422 – an increase of 9%. At the same time, the overall number of asylum seekers decreased by about 30% (4,018 in 2010, 3,086 in 2011).

The project is set to run for three years, to the end of 2012. It is divided into three project phases, the last of which will begin on 1 March 2012.

The project is funded by the European Return Fund and the Finnish Immigration Service. It is implemented by IOM that runs similar projects in several European countries.

The Finnish Immigration Service is currently setting up a permanent assisted voluntary return system, which will be incorporated into the immigration administration from the beginning of 2013.

Return statistics 1.1.2010-20.1.2012

Press release in English: 550 have voluntarily returned to their home countries

Press release in Finnish: Jo 550 palannut vapaaehtoisesti kotimaahansa

Press release in Swedish: 550 har återvänt frivilligt till sitt hemland