Source description last updated: 12 January 2021

In brief: Zentralstelle für Informationsvermittlung zur Rückkehrförderung (ZIRF) (Information Centre For Voluntary Return) is an institution within the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) tasked with facilitating voluntary return of asylum-seekers through information and counselling.

Coverage on ecoi.net:

Country Fact Sheets and selected query responses.

Covered monthly on ecoi.net, for countries of priorities A, B and C.

Mission/Mandate/Objectives:

“Since 2003, the Information Centre For Voluntary Return has been influencing return counselling offices and repatriation projects in Germany through services that involve coordination, providing information and networking [...]. For this purpose, the Centre prepares easily accessible reports based on existing information for ‘federal, state and municipal authorities (especially immigration authorities and social welfare offices) and – if required – also for international and other relevant institutions, non-statutory welfare organisations, churches and – above all – persons with an interest in returning to their countries of origin’.” (BAMF/EMN: Irreguläre Migration und freiwillige Rückkehr – Ansätze und Herausforderungen der Informationsvermittlung, 2015, p. 32, working translation by ACCORD)

The Centre also runs the ZIRF Database on which it has been publishing “Country Fact Sheet on selected countries of origin since 2006. These publications are available in German, English and usually a local language (https://milo.bamf. de/).“ (BAMF/EMN: Irreguläre Migration und freiwillige Rückkehr – Ansätze und Herausforderungen der Informationsvermittlung, 2015, p. 32, working translation by ACCORD)

„Moreover, since 2006, the Centre [...] provides individual return counselling services. Through authorised return counselling providers acting as intermediaries, persons interested in returning to their countries of origin may send in individual queries” (BAMF/EMN: Irreguläre Migration und freiwillige Rückkehr – Ansätze und Herausforderungen der Informationsvermittlung, 2015, p. 34, working translation by ACCORD). “Already answered requests are anonymized and can be viewed at the ZIRF database sorted by country.

” (IOM Germany website: ZIRF-Counselling, undated)

Funding:

The Information Centre For Voluntary Return is funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), the German Federal Government and the 16 State Governments.

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: countries of origin of asylum-seekers

Thematic focus:

Country Fact Sheets: healthcare, labour market and employment, housing, social welfare, educational system, concrete support for returnees, contact information and useful links, etc. (IOM Germany website: ZIRF-Counselling, undated)

Query responses: medical treatments, labour market, education, housing, social affairs, vulnerable persons (IOM Germany website: ZIRF-Counselling, undated). However, coverage on ecoi.net is limited to query responses on medical treatments.

Methodology:

Country Fact Sheets are “prepared by staff of the International Organization for Migration [IOM] based in the relevant country upon commission by BAMF/ZIRF” (BAMF/EMN: Irreguläre Migration und freiwillige Rückkehr – Ansätze und Herausforderungen der Informationsvermittlung, 2015, p. 32, working translation by ACCORD) and may draw on data from national authorities including statistical offices (see, for example, IOM: Country Fact Sheet Islamic Republic of Iran 2019, 2019, published by ZIRF and IOM: Country Fact Sheet Bosnia and Herzegovina 2019, 2019, published by ZIRF), studies conducted by other international organisations and providers of macroeconomic data or on reports from ombudspersons on human rights (see, for example, IOM: Country Fact Sheet Albania 2019, 2019, published by ZIRF).

With regard to query responses, “[o]n behalf of those interested in­ returning, the individual requests are sent to IOM Germany. IOM offices in the respective return countries take over the research and provide case-specific answers within a few days. ” (IOM Germany website: ZIRF-Counselling, undated)

Languages of publication:

German, English and local languages of countries of origin of asylum-seekers

Further reading:

ZIRF-Counselling: Infoflyer 2020 (in German)
https://files.returningfromgermany.de/files/Infocard%20ZIRF%202020.pdf

 

All links accessed 21 January 2021.