Cordaid-Mediation Agency for Return
1. General activities of the organization:
The Mediation Agency for Return started in December 2001 as a project of the department ‘Cordaid Netherlands’. The project was initiated as an answer to the needs expressed by organizations dealing with refugees and asylum seekers in the Netherlands. The aims of the agency are to contribute to humane voluntary return, to re-establish relations with the countries of origin and to offer assistance by making use of the Cordaid network of partner organisations. Other aims are to remove obstacles that returnees expect to face upon their return, but also to stimulate returnees to take responsibility for their own lives and to learn to use their (work) experiences and achievements after having returned. CMC (People with a Mission) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are covenant partners in the Mediation Agency for Return.
2. ERSO member is funded by:
The Mediation Agency for Return receives funds from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cordaid and the Dutch Council for Refugees.
3. Target group of the ERSO member (in the context of return and reintegration):
The primary target group of the Mediation Agency for Return are (rejected) asylum seekers who wish to return to their country of origin on a voluntary basis, and who are not able to solve the problems they expect upon their return by themselves or by using their own networks. Contacts between the Mediation Agency for Return and the clients, always run through a contact person working for one of the organizations that offer pre-departure counseling (see question 4). Therefore these contact persons represent the second target group of the agency.
4. Does the ERSO member offer pre-departure counseling?
The Mediation Agency for Return offers no pre-departure counseling.
The organizations involved in pre-departure counseling are: the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Dutch Council for Refugees, the NIDOS Foundation (custody organization specifically for unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers), several Church based organizations, emergency shelters and NGO’s dealing with refugees in the Netherlands such as SAMAH/Humanitas. It is through these organizations that the Mediation Agency for Return receives most applications for the potential returnees. We also regularly inform these organizations about our work, activities, possibilities etc.
5. What kind of reintegration assistance does the ERSO member offer to returnees?
The assistance offered by the Mediation Agency for Return is tailor made; we work with individual mediation requests.
The Mediation Agency for Return can offer the following reintegration assistance:
Pre-departure: specific information regarding the country of origin (e.g. housing, education, employment, health care etc.) or practical assistance through one of our partner organizations (such as finding housing, arrange for medical care etc.);
After return: practical assistance through our partner organization in the country of origin. This can include: assistance in finding housing, registration (e.g. employment, medical care, old age pensions, unemployment benefits, education for children etc.), advice and support in finding employment;
Assistance in setting up a small-scale business after return: e.g. finding micro credit or help with registration etc.).
Referral to other organizations: e.g. for psycho-social assistance or health care;
All other relevant questions or needs.
Our assistance is short-term (3-12 months). Depending on the needs of our clients this period can be extended.
Since many returnees receive a certain amount of money from the Dutch government to cover most of the expenses in re-settling, financial assistance is often not given to our clients. For those who are not entitled to this money, the Mediation Agency for Return has a budget to cover the essential needs for the first period after return. Again this is tailor made and therefore varies per client.
6. Partners in the context of voluntary return and reintegration:
National level: Apart from the organizations mentioned under 4, the Mediation Agency for Return works together with CMC (People with a Mission). We also participate in several projects. With SAMAH (a Dutch NGO) we have a joint project ‘Beyond Borders’ in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Angola. We also participate in the Mobilee project (run by COA) and cooperate with Stichting Wereldwijd, both of them are focused on vocational training.
EU level: We cooperate with Caritas Belgium (specifically) and other ERSO members.
Countries of origin: In general we cooperate with non-governmental organizations from the partner networks of Cordaid, CMC and/or (other) members of the Caritas worldwide network, ICMC and JRS offices. In a few countries (such as Angola and Iran) we work with local IOM missions. The focus of our activities lies in the countries of origin. Therefore an extensive partner network in these countries is essential for our work. The assisting organizations usually receive a fee per case.
7. Top 5 of returnees by country of origin assisted by the ERSO member in 2008:
Top 5 counselling contacts by country of origin
- Angola 30
- Sierra Leone 31
- Guinée 7
- Burundi 7
- Nigeria 3
Top 5 actual returns by country of origin
- Sierra Leone 18
- Angola 8
- Nigeria 3
- Bosnia 2
- Burundi 1
Total number of counselling contacts Jan-Dec 2008
117
Total number of returnees Jan - Dec 2008
49
