Ministry of Home Affairs allocates 600,000 euros to Voluntary Return Programme for immigrants in unlawful situation in Morocco

Through this budget, the Ministry of Home Affairs has contributed to financing the travel expenses necessary to return immigrants in an unlawful situation to their country of origin. Specifically, in November 2013 and July 2014, the ministerial department headed up by Jorge Fernández Díaz made two economic contributions for a sum total of 400,000 euros and, in January 2015 (charged to the 2014 budget), a third contribution of 200,000 euros which was not initially forecast but which was made with the aim of providing continuity to the IOM's activities, taking into account the highly satisfactory results being obtained.

A total of 1,775 immigrants from 20 countries have benefited under this voluntary return programme between the start of 2013 and December 2014. The main countries of origin of those immigrants receiving assistance are the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and Nigeria.

IOM and Voluntary Return Programme

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental organization set up in 1951 under an international treaty, which is currently made up of 127 Member States, including Spain. The IOM has been working on the Voluntary Return Programme since 2005, not only organising the return of Sub-Saharan immigrants, but also promoting the necessary conditions (training, material resources) so that on returning to their country of origin they can integrate both socially and with a job.

According to the data on the return programme, between January and December 2014, more than 70% of returnees have benefitted from a reintegration programme in their country of origin. Of this number, 94% have initiated some form of professional activity. The IOM allocates an average of 1,500-3,000 euros for each one of these reintegration projects.

Of the 1,775 people to benefit under this programme, 77% are men and 23% are women. The number of unaccompanied minors that received aid totalled six, while 37 people were identified as victims of abuse.