The Transnational Exchange VI project started on the 01.10.2023. Within the 3-year duration, many workshops, conferences and field trips will take place. This page gives an overview of all carried out activities or events. Read the reports on the activities to learn more about the topics which the attending AVRR counsellors received training on.
Timeline
The Transnational Exchange VI project travelled to the Netherlands, together with six return counsellors from Iceland, Germany, Austria, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland. For two days the group visited relevant organisations and actors in the AVRR field in Amsterdam and Hague. 
The Transnational Exchange VI project held its fourth workshop in Augsburg from November 5 to 7, 2024. The event focused on the theme of “Voluntary Return to Russian Federation,” exploring the subject through historical, financial, political, and social lenses. A total of 29 participants from six countries engaged in further discussions on these topics through collaborative working groups.
Transnational Exchange VI project visited Finland from 27th of August until the 30th of August 2024 with 6 return counsellors from the Netherlands, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Austria and Belgium. The group visited The Finnish Immigration Service, the Finnish Police, IOM Finland, Finnish Refugee Council and a Transit Center of the Helsinki Reception Center.
The third Transnational Exchange VI field trip took off to Madrid Spain on 18.-21. of June 2024. The delegation of 6 return counsellors from all over Europe visited IOM Spain, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (MISSM), reception center CAED and the NGO field to learn about the Spanish AVRR system.
Transnational Exchange VI workshop with the topic “Mental illness as a challenge in return counselling” was held on the 14th – 16th of November 2023 with 35 European return counsellors. During the workshop, the participants received input about the topic “mental illness and return” from different angles: medical, psychosocial, cultural and organizational. Many working groups ensured the practical learning and exchange between European colleagues.
Transnational Exchange VI project organised its second field trip to Belgium from the 26th until the 29th of September 2023 for six European return counsellors from Sweden, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. The aim of the trip was to get insights into the Belgian asylum and assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) counselling system and to compare it with other European systems.
Transnational Exchange VI project organised a field trip to Greece from the 7th until the 10th of March, with six European return counsellors from Finland, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The aim of the trip was to a get a good overview of the Greek immigration and assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) counselling system and to compare it with other European systems. Read more about the Greek AVRR system and the trip on our report:
The first workshop with the topic “Voluntary return to Turkey” took place online on the 8th of December 2022. A focus of the training was labour market reintegration as well as Turkish minorities returning to Turkey. For the report on the workshop, please click here.