ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN AND REINTEGRATION

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

IOM Moscow

Munich, September 2013

IOM Moscow has been implementing AVRR activities since 2001, offering reintegration assistance which includes:

• Travel arrangements• Reception and onward transportation assistance• Temporary accommodation as needed• Medical assistance• Social, legal and job counseling• Support to development of small business activities

and other employment creation initiatives• Specialized assistance to vulnerable migrants• Information exchange on reintegration opportunities

IOM Moscow has been implementing AVRR activities since 2001 which includes:

• Assistance with voluntary return (AVR)

• Post arrival reintegration assistance (PARA)

AVR

• OUTBOUND:• Travel arrangements (booking, assistance with travel

documents and clearences) • Fit to travel medical check• Pre-departure counseling• Transit assistance

• INBOUND:• Airport pickup (meet & greet) • Transit assistance• Reception and onward transportation assistance• Temporary accommodation• Cash disbursement ...

PARA

• Information exchange on reintegration opportunities• Social, legal and job counseling• Support to development of small business activities and other

employment creation initiatives• Specialized assistance to vulnerable migrants• Medical assistance• Reference point between the beneficiary and sending country• Cooperation with local authorities• Start-up reintegration assistance (based on individual needs)• Case management• Monitoring

Over 13 000 Russian nationals have been assisted under IOM Moscow AVRR projects (1 500 – 2 000

returnees annually).

Currently such assistance in Russia is implemented through different programmes, for returnees from Austria, Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

Voluntary Non-voluntaryRecieved

pre-departure counseling

France 40 0 0

Belgium 1 1 1

The Netherlands 1 0 1

ERI project statistics

Support by IOM

• Pre-departure stage - Counseling and return-related information to EUMSI's, counselors and potential beneficiaries. Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is contacted prior to departure and gives information on what kind of assistance the returnee may receive upon arrival to Russia (i.e. travel, domestic transfer, grant amount, how the grant may be received, rules and regulations of AVRR within ERI, etc.).

Support by IOM

Transportation stage• Arrival assistance at the airport; if the

beneficiary needs to travel further from the port of entry, IOM can arrange further transfer within the territory of the Russian Federation; arrange an overnight stay at a hostel/hotel; train/bus tickets, transfer to the train station.

• Initial post arrival orientation

Support by IOM

Post-arrival stage

• At this stage the beneficiary is required to contact the IOM office in Moscow by phone or come to the office in order to receive primary counseling.

Types of Reintegration Assisstance:Cash grants and/or in-kind support (as per country

annexes) to be used for:

• Housing needs (temporary accommodation)

• Material assistance (household goods, furniture)

• Education support (tutors, vocational training) • Medical assistance• Business set-up:

i.e. cattle breeding (calves, sheep), green-houses, bakeries, hairdresser and beauty salons, sewing shop, internet cafes, taxi businesses, transportation services.

HEALTH CARE

• Medical care in the Russian Federation is provided both by the state and by private medical institutions. The majority of current medical institutions are run by the State. However, the private sector is developing rapidly.

• The right to free medical care to all Russian citizens is guaranteed by the Constitution of the RF and is incarnated through a system of Obligatory Medical Insurance (OMS). Insurance companies are selected by the State authorities in each region. They are financed from the State budgets at all levels, from tax revenues and other sources.

Free medical care covers the following services:

• emergency medical care;

• ambulatory care including preventative treatments, diagnosis and treatment of diseases both at home and in polyclinics; treatment in a hospital

• In order to obtain an OMS one will need a valid internal passport with a valid registration.

MEDICINE

• Russian citizens buy medicines at their own expense. However special categories of patients suffering from certain diseases are entitled to state-funded free medication. In hospitals and day care medical centers, medicines are provided for free for the patients covered by Obligatory Medical Insurance (OMS).

• In emergency situations medicines are free not only in clinics but in ambulances and for outpatient care.

• Treatment and medicines for some diseases can also be financed from the regional budgets of local administrations.

• The list of diseases giving patients the right to obtain free medicines is determined by the Ministry of Health and Social Development.

EMPLOYMENT

• Russian citizens have free access to the labor market anywhere in the country. The unemployment allowance is 4 900 RUR (approximately 100 EUR).

• A person has the right to work as soon as he/she turns 14 years old. However, there are regulations governing reduced working hours for people under 18 years of age.

• People of pension age who receive a state pension also have the right to work.

• There are systems of benefits to protect employment rights of some categories of citizens, such as pregnant women and mothers with children under 3 years of age (By law a single mother should receive 1 873, 10 RUR per child per month).

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

• Unemployed people, who are registered with the Federal Labor and Employment Service have a right to attend free training courses to upgrade their skills.

• Apart from state run vocational centers there are many private educational training centers where individuals or their employers pay for training. The cost of courses depends on the city or region and the training subject.

BUSINESS STARTUP

• A person who wishes to start a small business in Russia must register the enterprise or be registered as an individual entrepreneur.

• In Federal Law No.128, 14 there is a list of business activities which require a license and a list of the federal authorities that can issue one. The term of the license must be for at least five years. The license fee is RUR 1,300 (EUR 30). The owner should obtain permission from the fire service (for premises exploitation) and, if the business is related to medicines, food, or beverages, also apply for a certificate from the sanitary inspection authorities.

• Farming activities do not require registration.

HOUSING

• There is a system of so called “social rent”, which means that state or municipal housing is provided for people who are waiting for an improvement in their housing conditions (largely people with a low income). The housing standard in these cases is 12 m2 per person. The dwelling is provided free after a decision by the appropriate state body. Unfortunately the list of the eligible candidates is rather extensive and the waiting time may vary from several years to several decades.

HOUSING

Monthly rent for a one room apartment in Moscow: RUR 20,000-48,000 (EUR 500-1200) Monthly rent for a one room apartment in St. Petersburg: RUR 19 500 – 20 000 (EUR 488 -

500)

Monthly rent for a one-room apartment in Grozny: from RUR 10 000 (EUR 250)

Rent prices vary greatly in different regions of Russia.

HOUSING

• There is a system of special state facilities for elderly people, and disabled adults and children. They can stay there for free and will have access to the medical services they need.

KEY FACTORS FOR SUSTAINABLE RETURN

Individually-tailored reintegration plans:

• Feasibility of reintegration plan • Assessment of region the beneficiary is returning to • Assessment of medical needs of the beneficiary and the local

health care system• Adequate cost assessment (750 euro in Moscow is very little,

1.500 euro might not be enough for purchasing medicine for a long enough period)

KEY FACTORS FOR SUSTAINABLE RETURN

• Consistency of information provided to beneficiaries from the outset and throughout the return and reintegration process;

• Not raising false expectations at the stage of pre-departure counseling;

• Clear, transparent and easy understandable procedures (including standard set of required docs.);

• Smooth and timely processing of reintegration requests;• Individually-tailored reintegration plans based on realistic

assessment of the situation back home and the beneficiary’s background, skills and motivation;

• Timely notifications concerning upcoming returns (necessary for due processing);

THANK YOU!