Return migration

DTM has been conducting the Baseline Mobility Assessment in Afghanistan since 2016 to track mobility, provide information on population estimates, locations and geographic distribution of displaced and returnee populations, reasons for displacement, places of origin and periods of displacement. Vulnerabilities and multi-sectoral needs are covered in the Emergency Community- Based Needs Assessment (eCBNA) at the end of the report. Data is collected at the settlement level, through focus group discussions with community focal points and direct observations.

This province highlight delves into the key findings in Kabul province using the latest results from Round 15 of the BMA and eCBNA (conducted in March and April 2022), focusing on the 2021-to-2022 period. The full report can be found here: Baseline Mobility and Emergency Community-Based Needs Assessment Report (Round 15, March—April 2022)

DTM has been conducting the Baseline Mobility Assessment in Afghanistan since 2016 to track mobility, provide information on population estimates, locations and geographic distribution of displaced and returnee populations, reasons for displacement, places of origin and periods of displacement. Vulnerabilities and multi-sectoral needs are covered in the Emergency Community- Based Needs Assessment (eCBNA) at the end of the report. Data is collected at the settlement level, through focus group discussions with community focal points and direct observations.

The key findings report summarizes the results of Round 15 of the BMA and eCBNA (conducted in March and April 2022), focusing on the 2021-to-2022 period. The full report can be found here: Baseline Mobility and Emergency Community-Based Needs Assessment Report (Round 15, March—April 2022)

To better understand the demographic profiles, living conditions and reintegration processes of Afghan returnees, IOM, under the EU-funded project “Displacement Tracking Matrix Regional Evidence for Migration Analysis and Policy (DTM REMAP)”, developed the Returnee Longitudinal Survey (RLS). This RLS Report provides a snapshot of the of RLS data collection which took place on 7 – 26 May 2022 among Afghan nationals who had returned from Türkiye or the EU between January 2018 and July 2021. A total of 603 returnees (521 from Türkiye and 82 from the EU) were interviewed over the phone across 97 districts in 14 provinces.  RLS data collected in May 2022 demonstrates returnees continue to experience significant economic and food-related challenges in Afghanistan.

To better understand the demographic profiles, living conditions and reintegration processes of returnees, IOM, under the EU-funded project “Displacement Tracking Matrix Regional Evidence for Migration Analysis and Policy (DTM REMAP)”, developed the Returnee Longitudinal Survey (RLS). This report intends to provide summary findings of the first round of RLS data collection that took place in Afghanistan (May to August 2021), Bangladesh (October 2020 to January 2021), Iraq (August to September 2020) and Pakistan (January to April 2021). While the RLS also collects data on the sustainability of reintegration (economic, social and psychosocial), this summary report solely focuses on the analysis and comparison of data collected in the four countries on the profiles of the returnees. The specific thematic areas for analysis under this report include: socio-demographic background, employment status, income status, debt status, migration drivers, return journey and prior migration experience and re-migration intentions.

Ce rapport est composé d’un ensemble de cartes présentant les différents phénomènes et tendances migratoires au Tchad. Il décrit les différents mouvements de populations recensés depuis, vers et au sein du territoire tchadien et dresse le profil des populations en mouvement. Parmi les types de mobilités traitées dans ce document figurent les mouvements socioéconomiques; les mouvements de Tchadiens vers l’étranger et de ressortissants étrangers au Tchad; les transhumances ; les déplacements forcés et les retours facilités par l’OIM. Souvent, ces différentes mobilités se croisent et s’imbriquent. Ce rapport tente de mettre en lumière ce lien et de mieux saisir les dynamiques y afférentes. Ce rapport est le résultat d’une compilation de diverses bases de données, de rapports provenant de différentes sources d’information et de témoignages recueillis directement auprès des populations mobiles ou d’informateurs clés. Les sources sont indiquées dans chacune des pages. S’il ne peut pas être considéré comme complet ou représentatif, le rapport offre une image générale de la situation migratoire au Tchad.

Starting on 24 February 2022, the war in Ukraine triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and generated large scale displacement both within Ukraine and to the neighbouring countries. As of the end of May, 7.1 million persons were internally displaced in Ukraine1 and almost 7 million crossings of refugees and other Third-Country-Nationals (TCNs) not in need of international protection from Ukraine into the neighbouring countries were reported.2 However, since April, an increasing number of returns have been identified both from other locations in Ukraine and self-reported returns from abroad and according to UNHCR about 2.1 million crossings were registered from neighbouring countries into Ukraine as of the end of May.

This report is based on 3,424 valid surveys collected by IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in four European countries neighbouring Ukraine with adult refugees from Ukraine and TCNs crossing to Ukraine between 16 April and 31 May 2022: 708 surveys in Poland, 2,102 in the Republic of Moldova, 514 in Romania and 100 in Slovakia. Total results were weighted with equal weights per each country sub-sample.

Individual crossings back into Ukraine are not necessarily returnees and conclusions on definitive trends cannot yet be drawn. The sample is not representative of all persons crossing to Ukraine and results should only be considered as indicative.

Since 24 February 2022, an increasing number of people fleeing from Ukraine to the neighbouring countries has been observed, as a result of the war in Ukraine. As of 7 June, 489,283 Ukrainian refugees and third country nationals (TCNs) were registered at border crossing points (BCPs) while entering from Ukraine into the Republic of Moldova. Additionally, 87,621 Ukrainian refugees and TCNs, who have entered into the Republic of Moldova after 24 February, have since exited back to Ukraine.

This report presents a summary of displacement survey findings commissioned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with UN Women. Data were collected before crossing to Ukraine at three main border crossing points (BCPs) – Palanca and Tudora (Stefan Voda district in the South) and Otaci (Ocnita district in the North) between 16 April and 27 May. Individual crossings into Ukraine are not necessarily returnees and conclusions on definitive trends cannot yet be drawn. The sample is not representative of all persons crossing to Ukraine, and results should only be considered as indicative.

Le présent rapport vise à fournir un aperçu sur les tendances principales de mobilités de populations en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre en 2021. Il aborde la mobilité régionale selon deux grandes lignes : les déplacements internes et les flux migratoires. Dans chaque section, le rapport présente des tendances primaires de mobilités, les évènements clés, et les profils de populations mobiles observées en 2021. L’édition 2020 de ce rapport contient en outre des sections qui examinent en détail l’impact de la crise de COVID-19 sur la mobilité régionale, les migrations environnementales et climatiques et les solutions durables aux déplacements forcés dans la région.

This report is the result of the first round of data collection that took place from May to August 2021 with Afghan migrants who returned from Turkey and the EU in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 through IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) and Stabilisation, Reintegration and Resilience (SRR) programmes. During the data collection period, 998 respondents were interviewed in person or over the phone across 102 districts in 17 provinces.

This report is divided into three main sections. The first section summarises the key findings in this report. The second section starts with a description of the methodology and includes the research method, sampling information and limitations. The third section presents the analysis of the data that was collected between May and August 2021. The analysis chapter is further subdivided into eight thematic sections. The first subsection covers the demographics and socio-economic profiles of the return migrants. This is followed by a subsection on the employment situation, occupational sector and income and debt status of the returnees (prior to migration; in Turkey or the EU and in Round 1, which took place from May to August 2021). The third subsection explores the reasons for migration. The fourth subsection examines the migration journey, including the reasons for migrating to Turkey or the EU. The following subsection dives deeper into the reasons for return and then an additional subsection goes into the challenges that returnees experience after returning to Afghanistan. Finally, the last two subsections examine prior migration experiences and re-migration intentions.

Between 22 November 2020 and 3 January 2021, DTM tracked 4,484 individuals (826 families) returning to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj districts in Iraq’s Ninewa Governorate. This brings the total number of individuals who have taken this route to 45,268 (8,488 families) since data collection commenced on 8 June 2020.
In this reporting period, the average number of daily individual arrivals was 111 to Sinjar (down significantly from 258 in the last round) and 10 to Al-Ba’aj (down from 16 in the last round). In this period, the daily number of arrivals to Sinjar is lower than the overall daily average since 8 June (205); the daily number of arrivals to Al-Ba’aj is also lower than the overall daily average since 8 June (19).
Of those individuals who returned between 22 November 2020 and 3 January 2021, a total of 4,106 were recorded in Sinjar (92%) and 378 were recorded in Al-Ba’aj (8%) – broadly consistent with the rates of individuals’ districts of arrival since 8 June.
The most common sub-district of arrival was Al-Shamal with 2,514 individuals (56%), followed by Markaz Sinjar with 1,077 individuals (24%). Together, these two sub-districts comprise 78 per cent of all individuals recorded as having arrived to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj since data collection commenced on 8 June. Otherwise, 515 individuals arrived to the sub-district of Qaeyrrawan (11%) and 378 arrived to Al-Qahtaniyah (8%).
Of those individuals identified as returning between 22 November and 3 January, 3,790 were recorded as returnees (85%), while the remaining 694 were recorded as out-of-camp IDPs (15%). This represents a deviation from the overall proportion of individuals having been identified as returnees (77%) and out-of-camp IDPs (23%) since 8 June.
Additionally, between 22 November and 3 January, a total of 3,555 individuals were recorded as departing from Dahuk Governorate (79%) – which is similar to the rates of individuals having departed from there since 8 June (81%). As with all previous rounds, between 22 November and 3 January, the majority of individuals from Dahuk were recorded as coming from the districts of Sumel (45% of all individuals) and Zakho (29%). The remaining individuals from Dahuk Governorate were recorded as coming from the districts of Dahuk (4% of all individuals) and Amedi (1%).
Additionally, between 22 November and 3 January, a further 810 individuals were recorded as having come from within Ninewa (18%), mainly from Al-Shikhan (14% of all individuals), with rest from and Sinjar (3%), Tilkaif (1%), and Mosul (<1%).
This proportion (18%) of individuals recorded as having come from Ninewa between 22 November and 3 January is consistent with the overall proportion of individuals recorded as having come from there since 8 June (18%). Otherwise, 31 individuals arrived from Sulaymaniyah Governorate (1%), while 40 individuals arrived from Erbil Governorate (1% of all individuals), and 48 individuals arrived from Kerbala Governorate (1%)—the first account of movements from there since data collection for this exercise commenced on 8 June.
Since 8 June, almost all individuals have been recorded as having departed from Sumel (49% of all individuals), Zakho (28%), and Al-Shikhan districts (14%).
Between 22 November and 3 January, of the 4,106 individuals who arrived to Sinjar District, 3,348 came from Dahuk Governorate (82%), while 639 came from within Ninewa (16%), 48 came from Kerbala (1%), and 31 came from Sulaymaniyah (1%). Additionally, of the 378 individuals who arrived to Al-Ba’aj District, 207 came from Dahuk (55%) and 171 came from within Ninewa (45%).
Furthermore, during the same period, a total of 2,826 individuals were recorded as coming from camp settings (63%), while the remaining 1,658 individuals came from out-of-camp settings (37%). This is broadly consistent with the rates of individuals coming from different settings since 8 June, as follows: 31,578 individuals have arrived from camp settings (70%) while 13,690 individuals have arrived from out-of-camp settings (30%).
Between 22 November and 3 January, increases were recorded in the number of individuals who had been living in camp settings in their previous districts of displacement. Since 8 June 2020, the total number of individuals now in Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj who have come from camp settings within Sumel is now 14,617 (up from 13,486), while Zakho’s is 10,808 (up from 9,705), and Al-Shikhan’s is 5,339 (up from 4,795).
In addition, since 8 June 2020, the total number of individuals who have come from out-of-camp settings within Sumel is now 7,507 (up from 6,598), while Zakho’s is now 2,078 (up from 1,889), and Al-Shikhan’s is 1,087 (up from 991).