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  • Title: Different forms, reasons and motivations for return migration of persons who voluntarily decide to return to their countries of origin.
    Author: Kraus R.
    Journal: Int Migr; 1986 Mar; 24(1):49-59. PubMed ID: 12314945.
    Abstract:
    Refugees seek asylum in the People's Republic of Germany with high hopes for economic and social prosperity. Those refugees who choose to return to their countries of origin leave with dashed hopes and feeling homesick and out of place; they also feel uncertain, insecure, and despondent when they think of the difficulties awaiting them at home because they have asked for asylum. The People's Republic of Germany is exploring means to motivate those seeking asylum there to return voluntarily to their countries of origin. This article discusses and evaluates 2 model projects that focus on counseling and reintegrating refugees who choose to return to their homelands. The 1st model project took place from 1980-1983. It returned 1887 asylum seekers, mostly Pakistanis and Indians, to their homelands. Reintegration assistance was to be administered in 5 phases: 1) counseling and motivation in the Federal Republic of Germany, 2) 3 months of reintegration training at a training center in Germany, 3) return migration assistance, 4) counseling and followup assistance in the country of origin, and 5) evaluation of experience and communication of findings. 2 major conclusions were drawn from this project: 1) Steps must be taken to obtain rapid return of economic refugees; this would better serve political refugees who are entitled to asylum. 2) Reintegrated refugees must participate in extensive information programs in their homelands to persuade other economic refugees not to leave their countries. 273 Turkish refugees were interviewed in the 2nd project. The project concluded that reintegration motivation may be attained by 1) providing basic information on asylum seekers, 2) counseling to promote willingness to return home, 3) offering practical assistance to return home, and 4) introducing regulations discouraging economic refugees. The author concludes that the training installations in the People's Republic of Germany are unacceptable because they create incentives for refugees to remain. Having refugees counsel other refugees is also unacceptable because it interferes with legal procedure and asylum law. He suggests that refugee reintegration be shortened and feels that intensive seminars are not effective. Counseling of asylum seekers for whom there is little or no chance of approval should be carried out by private sponsors and in the form already in practice in Germany. Finally, he advises that the measures taken to promote reintegration should be offered in the form of government development aid.
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