Return migration has emerged as a critical policy concern for both destination and origin countries. While policy attention in destination countries has been focused on assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programs, particularly for migrants with expulsion orders, these efforts represent only a fraction of broader return movements. This report, based on a project carried out by the OECD with support from the German Corporation for International Co-operation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH – GIZ), commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, analyses the scope and characteristics of different categories of return migration.

The report draws on three workshops, held in Tunis, Rabat and Brussels, that discussed return migration in different contexts. It examines the multiple factors that influence migrants' decisions to return to their countries of origin and their reintegration at home, including the role of family and community. The report emphasises the pre-existing structures and networks of returning migrants in origin countries and their role in supporting different types of return migrants. The report also looks at potential re-migration.