Assisted voluntary return helps people return to their home countries

Under certain conditions, Finland may assist the voluntary return of people to their home country. In practice, assistance can be granted through two systems. The Finnish Immigration Service operates a system for assisted voluntary return. Through this system, certain persons can receive financial assistance and compensation for reasonable travel expenses as referred to in the Reception Act. In addition, the police can support the return of a person who has been issued with a removal decision through the EU Reintegration Programme (EURP) of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex. The Finnish Immigration Service's assisted voluntary return system also makes use of Frontex's reintegration services.

Through the Finnish Immigration Service's system, support can be granted to third-country nationals who have applied for international protection, to beneficiaries of temporary protection and to victims of human trafficking who have no municipality of residence in Finland under the Municipality of Residence Act, as well as to those who have been granted a residence permit under section 51 of the Aliens Act. A precondition is that the person leaves the country voluntarily and permanently after cancelling their application or after their residence permit application has been rejected. There are also other conditions for granting assistance.

The purpose of the assistance granted to a returnee under certain conditions is to support the returnee in starting life after the return. Assistance is mainly in-kind assistance, which means various items or services that help the person start a small business or access education or training, for example.

If the returnee is a client of a reception centre, they may apply for assisted voluntary return at their own reception centre. As a partner of the Finnish Immigration Service, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) makes travel arrangements and provides assistance at the airport during the return trip.