Return counseling; utilization

Return counseling is open to all immigrants from abroad to Bavaria.

State support for return and reintegration is intended to motivate individuals to make this decision voluntarily and after the shortest possible stay in Germany. Supporting services make it easier to regain a permanent foothold in the home country.

For this reason, the Central Return Counseling Service was founded in 2003 at the suggestion of the Bavarian state government and has been continuously expanded since then. Initially, return counseling was mainly provided by the welfare associations working in the central return counseling centers and by Coming Home in the state capital of Munich, but with the establishment of central immigration authorities in each administrative district in 2015, state agencies also became responsible for return counseling.

Since then, Bavaria has had a nationwide network of eleven return counseling centers. The aim is to enable foreign nationals to make an independent decision based on sound information. Return and reintegration funds can only be used successfully if these people receive assistance in Germany and in their country of origin according to their personal needs and possibilities (further training, financial and/or material assistance, arranging contacts). This assistance can only be offered by agencies that specialize in return counselling, as is the case with the Central Immigration Authorities and the Central Return Counselling Centres.

Asylum seekers in the ongoing asylum procedure as well as rejected and recognized former asylum seekers are advised. Those affected are free to choose which of the advice centers operating in the respective administrative district they wish to contact.

Return counseling is available to the following groups of people in particular:

• Persons who have a residence permit in accordance with the Asylum Act (AsylG),
• Persons who have a tolerated stay permit in accordance with the Residence Act (AufenthG),
• Persons who are required to leave the country, even if the deportation order is not or no longer enforceable.
• deportation is not or no longer enforceable,
• Persons entitled to asylum, recognized refugees and persons entitled to subsidiary protection as well as their family members who have joined them or were born in Germany,
• other foreigners who have been granted a residence permit for reasons of international law, humanitarian
• political reasons (Chapter 2, Section 5) in accordance with the Residence Act

In principle,return and reintegration assistance can only be granted to those entitled to benefits in accordance with Section 1 of the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. Those wishing to return can mainly be granted funds from the REAG/GARP program (Reintegration and Emigration Programme for Asylum-Seekers / Government Assisted Repatriation Programme), which is implemented nationwide according to uniform criteria, the federally funded return assistance program StarthilfePlus (depending on nationality) and the Bavarian Return Program. In certain cases, additional return and reintegration assistance can also be provided, e.g. via the EU-funded Frontex EURP (European Reintegration Program).

In addition, return and reintegration projects are funded by various organizations.