India is the leading country of origin for international migrants, says United Nations International migrant stock 2019 data. Almost 175 Lakh Indians live abroad. Thousands of Indians head abroad for a better life every year, but for many, this journey is not very smooth. 

Returning home becomes their biggest struggle and challenge. This is the story of many migrants who suffered extreme anxiety and pain. 

ERRIN (European Return and Reintegration Network) program is a network of 15 European partner countries that offers socio-economic reintegration assistance to migrants in the form of counseling and referral and/or reintegration assistance to migrants who return voluntarily or non-voluntarily to their country of origin.

ERRIN is one of the major steps taken by EU member states with the Service Providers in sixteen countries to help migrants return home but also supporting migrants in their reintegration into society. And India is one of the countries where immigrants are returning to their homes under ERRIN program. 

“Such reintegration program is helping many people like us to their home country”, says Syed Buhari. “I was doing dairy farming business in my home town Adirapattinam happily, in Gaja Cyclone, 50 goats, 8 vows and 150 chicken wiped away, which has badly impacted on my livelihood, then through friend and agent went to France through direct flight and seek shelter in Asylum centre, but after 8 months, I thought of coming back to India because my family needs me, as my daughter went through Heart Hole surgery, I need this reintegration urgently to restart my dairy farming business for livelihood of my family”, narrates Syed.

Caritas India, the service provider in India with Caritas International is implementing ERRIN reintegration program. Under reintegration Program implementation, on 17th and 18th February 2020, meeting has been organized by Caritas India ERRIN team with local partner TMSSS(Tiruchirappalli Multipurpose Social Service Society), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu with the eight south partners Program Coordinators, where partners shared their ERRIN program-related work and FDG (focus group discussion) with the returnees returned from France. It was attended by 20 participants with a prime objective of strengthening the relation between field partners and returnees and to understanding the returnees challenges in Post Reintegration services.

The discussion also covered some other important aspects such as to know about the returnee’s journey from India to France, push and pull factor of migration, challenges went through in the said country, reason for coming back to their home country, how they come to know about ERRIN programme, Mode of communication with the EPI (European Partner Institute) i.e. pre-departure counseling or information on reintegration services by EPI.

Caritas India ERRIN team had given the assurance to the ongoing returnees cases for closing on time and requested field partners for their value-addition support to the returnees with dire need of financial support.

Caritas India team had taken up the input session on assisting returnees with special needs and basic counselling post-return & its importance and process to claim service fee (SF) for the services being provided field partners in giving social and business assistance and counselling to returnees based on returnee’s reintegration needs and field visits.

The discussion on challenges and suggestions surfaced the concerns of Field partners. They shared that “No clarity is given to the returnee about reintegration process in India during pre-departure, returnees are often unsure of selecting the business they would like to invest in, improper submission of documents by the returnees, and doubts regarding service fee (SF) entitlements. Caritas Team acknowledged their concerns and has resolved their concerns.