MPI Europe: Research

Policymakers across the European Union are seeking ways to incentivize third-country nationals with return orders to comply and voluntarily depart. This study examines whether and how two such measures—return counselling and reintegration assistance—can play a role in migrant decision-making, taking the Netherlands as a case study.

Many migrant-origin countries are developing policies and institutional structures to support their returning nationals, driven by safety concerns, emergencies, and in some cases pressure from destination countries. This policy brief examines these developments and identifies opportunities to better align local services, national policies, and donor support to strengthen international cooperation on migrant returns and reintegration.

The European response to displacement from Ukraine has been unprecedented. Yet as the war has stretched on, uncertainty has grown about whether and when refugees will be able to return home. This report examines a wide range of personal, host-country, and origin-country factors that contribute to refugees’ intentions to return or stay abroad, and what this means for the ongoing policy response in European host countries.

Humanitarian admission, sponsorship, and education- and employment-based mobility programs are becoming important tools for refugee protection, alongside traditional resettlement. Yet even as these complementary pathways gain in popularity, they have generally remained small. This report explores strategies and forms of support that could help these programs grow and better fulfill their objectives.