Reintegration services. 4 Assistance to vulnerable returnees

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1 Project name Target group Project description Providing reintegration assistance to Ukrainian nationals returning from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; ERIN Specific Action Program Ukraine The target group of the ERIN Specific Action Program is: Ukrainian nationals, returning from the above mentioned ERIN partner countries, voluntarily or non-voluntarily, known by the hosting / sending ERIN partner countries and defined as eligible under the rules of the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The main aim of the ERIN Specific Action Program is the sustainable return and re-integration of nationals who no longer have the legal right to reside in the EU Member States (MS) and associated partner countries. The European Reintegration Network (ERIN) stimulates the sharing services provided by the Service Providers to the different ERIN partner countries in the field of reintegration. For ERIN Ukraine Caritas Ukraine (CU) and Caritas International Belgium (CIB) will act as one single focal point: CU will be Service Provider and will work in close cooperation with Caritas International to provide assistance to returnees from the different ERIN partner countries. Caritas Ukraine will collaborate with its Caritas network to assist returnees all over Ukraine, exсept temporary occupied Crimea and Eastern territories of Ukraine which are not under control of Ukrainian government (for returnees who are returning to above mentioned territories reintegration assistance could be provided only on territory of Ukraine fully controlled by Ukrainian authorities). (See map on The four main components of the ERIN Specific Action Program are: 1 Information and Communication 2 Case management (counseling and referral services) 3 Reintegration services 4 Assistance to vulnerable returnees Reintegration services The reintegration services provided by Caritas Ukraine include the following services, depending on the required assistance per country and on the allocated reintegration amount (this list is not exhaustive): 1

2 - Basic post arrival assistance (airport pick-up, emergency or temporary housing, legal, administrative and social support etc.) - Assistance in vocational training, education, setting up a microbusiness and job counseling - Assistance to vulnerable returnees 1. Basic post arrival assistance: - Airport pick-up service and service for immigration procedures at the airport; - If necessary organize safe and convenient transportation to a hotel or to the final place of destination in Ukraine; - Emergency housing after return: if necessary and if no other solution can be found CU has the possibility to make reservation for a returnee to stay in a hotel (with a maximum of 7 days); - Other reintegration activities: provide temporary housing, support social networks, refer to local (social and administrative) services, refer to a doctor for medical checkup, legal and administrative support, etc. 2. Support in vocational training and education: different types of vocational training, focused upon the needs and wishes of returnees. 3. Providing access to the labor market: formations on CV writing, building up self-confidence, job interviews, etc. 4. Assistance in setting up a micro-business: CU can provide the following services if applicable to the person returning: individual counseling/identification of returnees needs and preferences business training/orientation in relation to local business environment development of a viable business plan with detailed cash flow analysis, income statement and balance sheet assistance in business registration of businesses, if needed monitoring of supported businesses If applicable and necessary: making a business plan together with a business consultant 2

3 basic training in accountancy collaboration with existing micro businesses 5. Provide any other individual tailor made assistance: special attention for vulnerable groups will be given, more specifically to women, people with mental or physical disabilities, victims of trafficking / smuggling and UAMs. Procedure 1) The beneficiary contacts the Service Provider by phone within a period of 1 month after return to Ukraine. The SP assists the beneficiary starting from the first contact. For more information about the SP => see further in this briefing note, or check the ERIN leaflet Ukraine (available in English and Ukrainian) 2) After return, the returnee should provide his/her passport or other identity document to the SP as soon as possible. Together with the official document received from the ERIN partner country, the eligibility of reintegration assistance can be confirmed. 3) After a positive answer on the verification procedure, the returnee will, in consultation with the local SP, make a reintegration plan, in which he/she describes in detail how the reintegration package will be used. This plan is sent also to the responsible ERIN partner country by the SP. => In order to make the two previous steps easier, the verification procedure and reintegration plan check will be done together. 4) Prior to implementation, the reintegration plan needs to be approved by the respective ERIN partner country. After approval of the plan, the local service provider organizes the purchase of necessary reintegration items (medication, material for business, payment for education, payment for house rent, etc.) together with the returnee within a period of 6 months after return. The reintegration assistance is given in kind and not in cash, which means that the local SP transfers the reintegration amounts directly to the pharmacy/shop/school/owner of apartment/etc. if possible. 3

4 Otherwise, reimbursements are made to the returnee s bank account, based on documented proofs of payment and previously agreed with the ERIN partner. Cash grants are never provided. 5) If the in kind system is not possible to be implemented in a specific case for a specific reason, the returnee can also be reimbursed after he/she provides the invoices or other proofs of payment to Caritas Ukraine. In such cases, the reimbursement never takes place in cash, but always via bank transfer from the SP to the returnee s bank account. This system of payment only takes place after approval by the ERIN partner country. 6) The reintegration amount is exchanged from Euros to UAH (Ukrainian hryvnias) as soon as reintegration plan is approved and returnee is ready to purchase particular goods or services. The bank rate of that particular day will be used as exchange rate. Same conditions for the exchange rate apply if the payment is done directly to the returnee (as mentioned in 5 ). DO s and DO NOT s 1) The returnee should contact the local SP within one month after return, and not vice versa! 2) During the reintegration process, there will be a follow up of how the reintegration process of a returnee is proceeding in order to justify the spending of the reintegration package which is made available by the respective ERIN partner country. Pictures of the purchased (material) reintegration items will be taken by CU. 3) The reintegration support can only be used for purposes directly linked to a short term and long term reintegration of the returnee in Ukraine, such as: - Housing (apartment rent, house rent, renovation) - Basic housing equipment and furniture - Educational courses and trainings - Schooling, items of basic needs for children and higher education - Kindergarten 4

5 - Medical treatment, examinations, purchase of medication, transport to hospital - Income generating activity (e.g. hairdresser s, taxi business, construction business, etc.) The reintegration support can only be used for other purposes after approval by the respective ERIN partner country. 4) The reintegration support cannot be used for the following expenses: - Food or drinks (unless stated differently in the National Annex) - Payment of debts - Luxury items meant for personal use (TV, mobile phone, clothes, etc.) 5) The reintegration amount will NOT be offered to the returnee if: - The person refuses to provide proofs of payment to the local SP - The person provides false proofs of payment to the local SP - The person acts aggressively towards the SP - The person provides incorrect information about facts that have an impact on his/her reintegration eligibility Important information for the persons returning 1) Housing: As mentioned before, returnees can use their reintegration package to finance housing, but only if the owner of the accommodation agrees to create an official rent agreement with the returnee. 2) Education and schooling: For people with children who return to the Ukraine, it is important to provide European (or another ERIN partner country) school attestations to facilitate their school enrollment after return. If possible, the school attestations should be translated already into English/German or Ukrainian. Without such attestations, the enrollment process can last several months, so it is important that the returnees are 5

6 aware of this. 3) Medical problems: People with medical problems should also bring European (or another ERIN partner country) medical attestations (if possible, also translated) to Ukraine. This is to facilitate their process of medical treatment after return. The more information about their medical situation is available, the easier it will be after return to receive the necessary treatment and/or other medical assistance. Important to know that Caritas Ukraine will be able to reimburse expenses on medicaments based on original receipts/invoices, doctor prescriptions. Caritas Ukraine cannot buy medicaments directly from Pharmacy. Officially, medical treatment is free of charge in Ukraine but in fact it s not. In order to receive medical treatment you need to pay for it but without confirmation documents. Thus Caritas Ukraine searches for private clinic or state one that can produce necessary bookkeeping documentation. 4) Taxation: Reintegration assistance according to Ukrainian legislation is considered as additional income (except medical expenses) so income tax 18% should be paid together with temporal charge of 1,5% (in total 19,5%) from the amount so-called military fee (due to crisis on East of Ukraine). According to Ukrainian legislation, only 2240 UAH (= approximately 75 EUR) is not under taxation, the rest of the budget is. All medical expenses covered by the reintegration budget are also not under taxation. These taxes are paid by Caritas Ukraine to the tax office, but from the returnee s reintegration budget. An example: Reintegration budget of 2000 EUR: 2000 EUR -/- 75 EUR tax free = 1925 EUR => which falls under the taxation law (19,5%). 1925*19,5% = 375,375 EUR taxes; 1524,625 EUR = reintegration budget; Service Providers (SP s) Caritas Ukraine is international charitable organization that unites more than 20 regional organizations Caritas with the Goal to develop and implement national programs that secure social 6

7 assistance and support for the neediest regardless of their nationality or religious beliefs. Caritas activity is focused on 4 main areas: Assistance to children, youth and families Healthcare Social problems of migration Work in crisis situations Since 2005, Caritas Ukraine cooperates with Caritas International Belgium within the project of voluntary return and reintegration, and assists migrants after return to Ukraine. This assistance includes social, medical assistance, assistance for a micro-business start-up, other support based on individual needs in order to guarantee a sustainable reintegration process. Caritas Ukraine network covers almost all territory of Ukraine. This means that reintegration assistance can be provided in every region of Ukraine except occupied Crimea and Eastern territories which are not under control of Ukrainian government. Single Point of Contact Caritas International (Belgium) is a non-governmental organisation. Its mission is to contribute to a humane and dignified return of rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants from Belgium and other European countries who have made an informed choice to return to their country of origin. The target group needs to have prospects for building up a sustainable livelihood, hence to become embedded in the society again upon return. To contribute to this, Caritas International provides post return reintegration assistance tailored to the needs of individual returnees through its local partner organisations. These national based partner organisations are mostly non-governmental organisations or consultancy agencies specialized in e.g. business creation and development. Caritas International Belgium is a partner of the REAB program (Return and Emigration of Asylum seekers ex Belgium) implemented by IOM since 1984, putting forward efforts to support voluntary return. Since 2007 CIB implements the national government program as service provider worldwide in the field of voluntary return. 7

8 The reintegration team of Caritas International can be contacted by and for anyone who is considering a voluntary return. The regional case managers have a lot of experience with the different countries and the local partner organisations. We provide information, but we can also prepare the potential returnees for their return and reintegration ( ). Name and address of European SP Contact person (SPOC) for national counsellors in the sending European countries ERSO network: Caritas International implements the ERIN Specific Action Program in close cooperation with the European Reintegration Support Organisations Network (ERSO). ERSO is an international network of non-governmental return counseling and reintegration support organisations working closely in the field of migration and development. The network provides impartial counseling and assistance to (rejected) asylum seekers and irregular and/or undocumented migrants regarding their voluntary return and reintegration in their Country of Origin. CARITAS INTERNATIONAL Liefdadigheidstraat 43 Rue de la charité Brussels 1210, Belgium Thomas Goedgezelschap Reintegration department, Caritas International Belgium Tel: erinukraine@caritasint.be Available from Monday until Friday between 08.30am and 05.30pm. Contact persons for returnees in the sending European countries or after return in Ukraine Oleksij Kozak Caritas Ukraine Tel : okozak@caritas-ua.org Available from Monday to Friday between 08:30 am and 05:30 pm [Kyiv TIME]. 8

9 European Partner Institutions - Sending European Countries o Austria Ministry of Interior o Australia Department of Immigration and Border Protection o Belgium Federal Immigration Office and Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers o Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs o Finland Finnish Immigration Service o France French Immigration and Integration Office o Germany Federal Office for Migration and Refugees o Greece Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection o Italy Ministry of Interior o Luxembourg Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs o Malta Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security o Netherlands Repatriation and Departure Service o Norway Norwegian Directorate of Immigration o Romania General Inspectorate for Immigration o Spain Integration of Immigrants Migration Board o Sweden Swedish Migration Agency o Switzerland State Secretariat for Migration o United Kingdom Home Office Immigration Enforcement 9