Migrant Integration

Via the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program, IOM Vietnam in cooperation with other IOM missions all over the world provides return and reintegration assistance to help irregular migrants return to Vietnam and re-establish themselves.

Reintegration assistance ranges from a reinstallation allowance to a variety of socio-economic assistance measures provided directly to the returnees. Beneficiaries of the AVRR include:

• Migrants in an irregular situation,
• Persons whose asylum claim has been rejected
• Victims of trafficking
• Any person with legal status in the host country, but without means to return home (including stranded persons and students);
• Labour migrants at the end of their contracts.

Most of these categories – particularly victims of trafficking – may include unaccompanied minors, whose inclusion in a return process requires additional and specific measures and considerations for assistance along with other vulnerable migrants.

Migrant integration activities at IOM follow a participatory approach which emphasizes preparations, flexibility, realistic planning and monitoring.

Ongoing Projects

Assisted Voluntary Return

Duration: Ongoing

Location: Throughout Viet Nam

There are a number of migrants in irregular status in the United Kingdom, some of whom are Vietnamese. IOM in Viet Nam works with the IOM Office in the UK, and the Government of the United Kingdom, to implement the reintegration component of a return programme for those who return home to Viet Nam voluntarily. This project assists returnees in a number of ways including providing initial funding for micro business start-up, and funding further education and vocational training. The primary aim is to help returnees gradually integrate into the community, stabilize their lives and enjoy a brighter future based on knowledge and employment.

In October 2007, a new approach to supporting reintegration was adopted to facilitate a move from a “one size fits all” model towards a model of reintegration assistance that is more tailored to the individual needs of returnees and their families. The approach requires the returnee to provide considerably more information on the activity they propose to engage in, and divides the financial support for business start-up into two installments. The second installment is made only upon a successful evaluation of the business after 6 months. After more than a year of implementation, the new approach has proven to be most effective in addressing specific needs for assistance and has succeeded in improving the chances of returnees reintegrating successfully back into Vietnamese society.

Completed Projects

Awareness Raising and Information Dissemination Project for Korea-Bound Migrant Brides

Timeframe: April 2007 – December 2008

Location: Provinces with significant outflows of Vietnamese women marrying Korean men

Since 2001, the number of brides migrating to Korea has increased dramatically. Currently, more than 12,000 Vietnamese women migrate to Korea each year after marrying Korean nationals in Viet Nam. This is often through a broker-arranged process. The aim of this project was to provide information to women considering marrying Korean men with regard to what entering into such a marriage entails as well as to provide accurate information to those who have already made the commitment. One component of the project was creating awareness raising materials for potential migrant brides in Viet Nam. A second part entailed the training of counselors from the Viet Nam Women’s Union and Justice Departments so that they may disseminate accurate information during required marriage interviews. Through the dual-approach of providing informational materials of available support networks to migrants in Korea, in addition to brief counseling sessions, migrant brides have been empowered to assert their personal rights in Korea and seek assistance when needed.

 

Pre-departure Orientation for Korea-Bound Migrant Brides

Timeframe: October 2007- January 2008

Location: Ho Chi Minh City

In response to the rapid increase in the number of Vietnamese brides migrating to Korea through a two to three-day broker-arranged marriage process, IOM implemented a pre-departure orientation programme targeting women marrying Korean nationals. In the first four months of the project’s implementation - October 2007 through January 2008 - more than 1,100 women attended the day-long class which provided basic information regarding Korean culture, societal norms, rights and citizenship. The project also included the operation of a toll-free telephone hotline, whose trained counsellors gave advice and support on the topic of marriage migration. The assistance provided through the class and telephone hotline helped this group of young women, typically from poor, rural Mekong Delta communities, to become increasingly empowered and better prepared to face the twin challenges of cross-cultural marriage coupled with migration. Following the completion of this first stage of the project, responsibility for its delivery was handed over to a non- governmental organization.

Please contact our Operations Team for more details:

Hà Nội:
Green One UN House
304 Kim Mã, Hà Nội.
Tel: (+84.24) 3850 0373, (+84.24) 3736 6259
E-mail: hanoi@iom.int
Appointment is required

Ho Chi Minh City:
1B Pham Ngoc Thach Street,
Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Tel: (+84.28) 3822 2057
Fax: (+84.28) 3822 1780
E-mail: hcmc@iom.int

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