The Usefulness of Reintegration Support: The Dual Perspectives of Returnees and Caseworkers

Lietaert, Ine, (2018). The Usefulness of Reintegration Support: The Dual Perspectives of Returnees and Caseworkers. The British Journal of Social Work, 1-18

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Lietaert, Ine
    Title The Usefulness of Reintegration Support: The Dual Perspectives of Returnees and Caseworkers
    Appearing in The British Journal of Social Work
    Publication Date 2018-11-02
    Place of Publication Oxford
    Publisher Oxford University Press
    Start page 1
    End page 18
    Language eng
    Abstract Many European countries have developed assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programmes to support the return and reintegration of migrants who do not have a legal residence permit. There is substantial involvement of social-care professionals in the implementation of these programmes. However, the contested nature of AVRR programmes has limited an in-depth understanding of the exact nature of reintegration support and the ways it affects migrants’ lives after return. Through exploring the usefulness of AVRR support from the perspectives of those receiving it and experienced caseworkers providing it in the context of the Belgian AVRR return programme to Armenia and Georgia, this article contributes to a better understanding of the possibilities and constraints of reintegration support. Based on interviews with seventy-nine returnees during the initial two years after their return, interviews with the caseworkers and observations of day-to-day interactions between both parties, four different understandings of the ‘usefulness’ of reintegration support are delineated: reintegration support (i) as central and necessary financial support; (ii) as insufficient, decontextualised and deceptive support; (iii) as selective support; and lastly (iv) as humane and negotiated support. These understandings then evoke reflections on the implications for those stakeholders developing or implementing AVRR support programmes.
    Keyword Asssisted voluntary return
    International social work
    Post-return well-being
    Reintegration support
    Return migration
    Usefulness of support
    Copyright Holder The Author
    Copyright Year 2018
    Copyright type All rights reserved
    DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcy093
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    Created: Wed, 03 Apr 2019, 19:12:56 JST by Masovic, Ajsela on behalf of UNU CRIS