About ERRIN

Who we are

The European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN) is a joint initiative of 16 EU Member States and Schengen-associated countries, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA / FRONTEX) and the European Commission. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development provides expertise and support as implementing partner.
Operational since mid-2018, ERRIN builds on the earlier ERIN Specific Action Programme. Sixteen European countries currently participate in ERRIN, with membership open to any EU Member State or Schengen-associated country. ERRIN is funded through the European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), with co-financing from participating national authorities. The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security (Repatriation & Departure Service) is the lead partner.

Context and challenges

Ensuring that migrants can return to their home countries in a dignified, humane and sustainable manner is a key part of EU efforts to manage migration. However, it is operationally challenging. Many aspects cannot be addressed effectively on a national level. That is why EU-wide collaboration is needed to improve both return processes, and quality of support offered to returning migrants.

Aims

In a nutshell, ERRIN seeks to strengthen cooperation between migration authorities, with the aim of:

  • enabling and improving reintegration through joint contracting of service partners in the countries of return
  • serving as an ‘innovation hub’ for members to improve practices, share learning and pilot new approaches to return and reintegration
  • investing in knowledge to improve understanding of return dynamics

Our vision

We contribute to a common European approach on return and reintegration of migrants, leading to more effective and efficient programmes, and ultimately, ensuring better future perspectives for returnees.

Our mission

To achieve this vision, our mission is two-fold: to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange between migration authorities, institutional and operational partners, both in Europe and with the countries of return, and: to develop and implement innovative solutions to shared return and reintegration challenges.

ERRIN explained

Follow the reintegration journey of Ade and his family to see how European countries are joining forces under the ERRIN umbrella to help migrants who cannot, or no longer wish to stay in Europe.

Our network

ERRIN Member States – European Partner Institutions

Sixteen European countries currently participate in ERRIN, with membership open to any EU Member State or Schengen-associated country.

Austria Federal Ministry of Interior
Belgium Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers
Federal Immigration Office
Denmark Ministry of Immigration and Integration
Finland Finnish Immigration Service
France Ministry of Interior
Office for Immigration and Integration
Germany Federal Ministry of Interior, Building and Community
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
Greece Ministry of Citizen Protection
Italy Italian National Police
Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Malta Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security
Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security - Repatriation and Departure Service
Norway Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Spain Ministry of Labour, Migrations and Social Security - Department of Migration
Slovenia Slovenian Police, Ministry of the Interior
Sweden Swedish Migration Agency
Switzerland State Secretariat for Migration

ERRIN Programme Management Unit

Activities are coordinated by the Brussels-based Programme Management Unit (PMU). The ERRIN team is led by Senior Programme Manager, Ruben Laurijssens, and is comprised of multinational dedicated professionals with a wealth of experience from national governments, EU institutions and other international organisations, NGOs and fieldwork in the countries where ERRIN is active and beyond.

Strategic Partners

The European Commission and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA / FRONTEX) constitute the Management Board along with the European Partner Institutions (EPIs). The Board drives the agenda and sets priorities. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) provides expertise and administrative support as implementing partner. The Armenian representation of ICMPD is also implementing the ERRIN-Armenia Gov2Gov project.

European Commission

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Frontex

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ICMPD

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Service Partners - Countries of Return

The ERRIN network is working with the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), the network of European Reintegration Support Organisations (ERSO) and four organisations that qualified as service partners to offer reintegration assistance for returning migrants, in currently 36 countries. Caritas International Belgium and IRARA additionally partner with a number of local partners to deliver services in selected countries. Read more on our 'Where we work' page.

Caritas International Belgium (CIB)

Caritas International Belgium is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to contribute to a humane and dignified return of migrants.

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EB projektmanagment GmbH 

EB projektmanagment GmbH (EB) is an Austrian consulting organisation established in 2004. Together with the Life Makers Foundation, EB assists Egyptian returnees within the framework of the ERRIN programme.

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ERSO – European Reintegration Support Organisations

Caritas International Belgium is a member of ERSO and an implementing parter for ERRIN-ERSO contracts.

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European Technology and Training Center (ETTC)

The European Technology and Training Centre (ETTC) specialises in capacity building, reintegration and humanitarian action.

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International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)

The Armenian representation of ICMPD is implementing the ERRIN-Armenia Government-to-Government project.

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IRARA

IRARA is committed to helping individuals and families successfully repatriate to their home countries.

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OFII – Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration

ERRIN works with OFII to provide a more harmonised alternative to the traditional model of having one generic reintegration service partner.

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SOS Children’s Villages Albania

SOS Children's Villages Albania support reintegration of minors returning from the ERRIN Member States.

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Women Empowerment Literacy and Development Organisation (WELDO)

WELDO is a not-for-profit organisation founded in Pakistan in 2003, active in the field return and reintegration projects.

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