Assisted voluntary return (AVR) is an activity that is part of the global approach to migration management promoted by IOM. AVR programs provide vital assistance to thousands of migrants who voluntarily wish to return to their home country each year.
The IOM Niger mission has been implementing AVR activities since its inception in 2006, however the number of returns tripled between 2015 and 2016 largely due to IOM’s outreach efforts. At the crossroads of migratory flows, a large number of migrants from third countries find themselves in distress in Niger, often without resources or the possibility of returning to their country.
IOM assists all migrants, Nigeriens and third-country nationals who wish to return home. Besides temporary accommodation in the transit centers, this support includes liaison with consulates and Embassies to secure travel documents and the logistics of travel to migrants’ communities of origin. This is done via land or by plane depending on the country of origin and the specific vulnerability of each beneficiary. A medical check-up is carried out before every departure and pocket money for expenses is provided to migrants in order to ensure a dignified journey home.
| TOTAL NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ASSISTED WITH AVR | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Nigeriens | 126 | 301 | 634 | 1419 | 276 |
| Other nationalites | 1,595 | 4,788 | 6,461 | 14,977 | 4,553 |
| Total | 1 721 | 5 089 | 7 095 | 16 396 | 4 829 |
Returns by country
| Country | Returns 2015 | Returns 2016 | Returns 2017 | Returns 2018 | Returns 2019 |
| Bénin | 9 | 25 | 46 | 132 | 232 |
| Burkina faso | 89 | 108 | 117 | 389 | 187 |
| Burundi | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cameroun | 92 | 376 | 507 | 1244 | 246 |
| Central Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 17 |
| Congo Brazaville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ivory Coast | 32 | 342 | 365 | 1023 | 316 |
| Ethiopie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gabon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gambia | 168 | 391 | 495 | 328 | 103 |
| Ghana | 14 | 38 | 83 | 101 | 33 |
| Guinea Bissau | 78 | 425 | 413 | 204 | 61 |
| Guinea Conakry | 51 | 1138 | 1393 | 4378 | 1002 |
| Jamaique | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Liberia | 19 | 97 | 283 | 853 | 94 |
| Mali | 342 | 333 | 549 | 3925 | 1536 |
| Mauritanie | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Niger | 126 | 301 | 634 | 1419 | 276 |
| Nigeria | 52 | 133 | 561 | 624 | 206 |
| Sénégal | 474 | 1303 | 1481 | 1018 | 235 |
| Sierra leone | 8 | 45 | 111 | 536 | 204 |
| Soudan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 9 |
| Chad | 155 | 17 | 16 | 51 | 24 |
| Togo | 5 | 12 | 28 | 64 | 23 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Congo RDC | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Namibia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Comores | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Somalia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sri lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 721 | 5 089 | 7 095 | 16 396 | 4 829 |