European Commission, European Partner Institutions (EPIs), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA/FRONTEX), Service Providers (SPs) and Sub- service Providers from third countries gathered at Colombo on November 26-29, 2019 for the European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN) Global Operational Meeting to improve the voluntary returnee reintegration process. Brussels-based Programme Management (PMU) facilitated the meeting to discuss improving the reintegration quality, sustainability, accountability, practices, and efficiency of delivery.

ERRIN helps the migrants for their safe return and support their reintegration into society. The support varies from finding jobs or vocational training, guidance for setting up a business, short-term housing support, referral to medical assistance, or legal and administrative support. The network covers the entire process from pre-return to post-arrival and reintegration.

During the three days meet, ERRIN PMU team has brainstormed with member states, EPIs, Service Providers (SPs) and sub-service providers on operational challenges during reintegration assistance to co-design the future of joint reintegration (2020-2022 and beyond). The meeting also discussed on Service Providers certification Criteria, assisting returnees with special needs and to identify the best practices and principles for joint reintegration programs

The discussion also took place on the sustainability of the reintegration by linking reintegration with the development sector. They planned on standardizing the reintegration in-kind assistance, strengthening the pre-departure counseling by the formation of pre-departure need-based assessment in a comprehensive manner. The other discussion points were, learning approaches on return counselling by good documentation practices, strengthening 3^rd country government administration to steer and coordinates return and reintegration processes, to develop operational framework on reintegration and development, piloting the project on reintegrating the victims of trafficking, Harmonization of Reintegration Plan formats and clarification on the Flat rate service fee (FRSF) for incomplete cases.

The suggestions put forth by the EPIs and Service Providers with ERRIN PMU will be incorporated in the redeveloping the operational framework for the next phase (2020-2022) and beyond.

The workshop concluded with the Bilateral talk between the EPIs, SPs, and Sub-SPs. Caritas India will incorporate certain points came out of the discussion in her reintegration services to the returnees i.e.  post departure counselling to returnees with need-based approaches and developing of Case Management system for the returnees in systematic manner, maintaining the confidentialities of the returnees and holding the data privacy and documentation of the best practices to be used  during post departure counselling.