Understanding voluntary return

Voluntary return of refugees and asylum seekers is seen as an increasingly important element of the UK policy agenda on immigration and asylum, consistent with proposals contained within the 2002 White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain. Since 1999, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the UK Home Office has been funding programmes to assist failed asylum applicants, those awaiting a decision and those with time-limited exceptional leave to enter or remain, who wish to return to their country of origin. In the context of increasing UK government interest in this area, this report describes the findings of a study commissioned by the Home Office to explore the factors influencing the decision to return, including the role played by incentives, as well as to enhance understanding of the concept of the ‘sustainability’ of return. The research was conducted by a team based at the Sussex Centre for Migration Research, and involved fieldwork both in the UK and in the Balkans. This chapter sets out the aims and objectives of the report, its background and relevance, and its structure.