voluntary return

• Libya
• Bangladesh

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the government of Bangladesh, has facilitated the return of 160 Bangladeshi migrants stranded in Libya, the UN agency said in a statement.

• Lebanon
• Ethiopia

The economic repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis have forced many irregular migrants from Ethiopia to return home, where they are faced with destitution on a daily basis. Some turn to sex work as their only option to rise out of abject poverty. Others resort to prostitution to finance their next migration.

• Libya

The International Organization for Migration's repatriation program for migrants stranded in Libya, which resumed in August after months of hiatus, is drawing thousands of applicants. InfoMigrants reports on the progress and conditions of these so-called voluntary returns.

• Netherlands
• Iraq
• Germany

50 Iraqi migrants who had been living in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium voluntarily returned to Iraq by plane on Wednesday. It was the first such flight since voluntary return flights were put on hold in March because of COVID-19.

• Syria
• Germany
• Afghanistan

The so-called "Orderly Return Law" (Geordnete-Rückkehr-Gesetz), which was enacted in Germany a year ago has failed to achieve its objective of raising the number of deportations in the first six months of its existence.

• United Kingdom

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have in a joint statement expressed concern about the UK’s plans to intercept and return migrants attempting to cross the English Channel irregularly on boats.

• Greece

Greece's program for the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin has been reactivated by the government's migration ministry. The scheme had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Greek migration minister, the first flights are expected "in the coming weeks."

• Libya

Many migrants stranded in Libya have asked for information about how to return to their home countries. Here is how the return program by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) works and what you have to do to get the process going.

• Tunisia

Tunisia has begun its first census on immigration. The census aims to help define the country's migration policies, the Tunisian statistics institute has announced.

• Greece

The EU has announced a financial incentive of €2,000 to migrants on five Greek islands to voluntarily return to their home countries. The goal of the initiative is to reduce severe overcrowding in migrants camps like Moria. InfoMigrants breaks down the details behind the new scheme.

• Germany

For migrants in Germany considering going back to their home country, returning voluntarily is a viable option. On top of existing return programs, the German government supports a series of reintegration projects for returnees in various countries of origin around the world. We take a look at the different voluntary return and reintegration support schemes.

• Afghanistan

As a growing number of Afghan refugees and migrants are returning to their county, finding housing for millions of Afghans is becoming one of the greatest challenges of the country, a senior government official told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.