The need

Over each of the last three years, an average of more than 4.5 million refugees and displaced persons returned home . This number however, consists largely of those receiving some humanitarian assistance in their return. Millions more return unaided. Reintegration support is often critical in avoiding inter-community conflict, instability and increased chances of further displacement.

Introduction

One of the most important tasks in providing aid to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is ensuring that after the conflict has ended or the natural disaster has receded, help is available for those who wish to return home.

Returnees face significant obstacles when attempting their long journey home, whether it is across national borders or within their own.

A homeland that has been irreversibly changed can be just as difficult for a returnee to accept as a foreign country can be to an international refugee.

ICMC has facilitated the return and reintegration of refugees and IDPs to their places of origin for over 50 years in a wide variety of circumstances: in South America after the reinstitution of democratic governments in Argentina and Uruguay, in South East Asia after the end of the war in Vietnam, in Kosovo after the end of the conflict in the Balkans, and most recently in Indonesia after the conflicts in Aceh and Maluku.

ICMC helps with two types of return:

• Spontaneous returns; people who have returned on their own, but may need assistance during the reintegration process, and Facilitated returns, where ICMC is actively involved with people in the decision-making process as well as in their eventual return and reintegration.

Although each return programme warrants a new approach to unique circumstances, ICMC has established a formula that assists in ensuring a safe, successful and sustainable return and reintegration process.

The principal steps of ICMC's return and reintegration programming:

• Gathering and sharing information, both with the people planning to return and with the communities in which they will reintegrate
• Providing additional counselling,particularly to extremely vulnerable individuals (EVIs) regarding their return, with referrals to professionals as needed
• Providing pre-departure assistance, comprised of items needed immediately upon arrival
• Addressing barriers of return, particularly security concerns, with "go and see" visits, and conflict transformation and peace building activities, that involve  parties from both sides of the conflict; as well as attending to the psychological and sociological impacts
• Transporting the returning individual or family in safety, with their personal belongings, and coordinating related customs clearance
• Providing assistance and solutions for basic sustenance, including food, health needs, household necessities and minor repairs to homes and furniture
• Supporting livelihood start-up, One of the most important steps in ensuring a successful, sustainable return often involves the provision of small loans and  grants, or resources such as tools and seeds to help overcome financial impediments post-return
• Facilitating administrative and legal interactionswith local authorities to satisfy community requirements and to assure the protection of those returning,  including the right to residency, education and social services provided to others in the community
• Advocating on behalf of the person(s) returning to obtain assistance from other international and local organisations, as well as with the government for the  construction of houses, wells, schools or other basic infrastructure to replace what was destroyed during the conflict or natural disaster
• Identifying, training and deploying community organisers who live in affected areas, to support the return within their communities and at the relevant  levels of government.
• Continuing post-return services to ensure sustainable reintegration for even the most complicated cases
• Continuing to assess and monitor.

These principle steps may be addressed on an individual, family or community level, either through "direct service" or a community planned and facilitated approach, depending on the local, cultural and socio-political circumstances.