Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on voluntary and forced return procedures and policy responses (2021)

The Inform focuses on the changes in policies and measures taken by the EU and OECD Member States in return procedures between March and September 2020. It examines the impact of measures taken in relation to the COVID-19 epidemic on the implementation of returns and issuance of return decisions. It also deals with detention and alternatives to detention as a prevention of absconding. It describes the changes introduced in providing pre-departure counselling and other related services and reintegration in the country of origin. It concentrates also on access to education of minors and access to health care for migrants who were issued a return decision. In the end, the Inform deals with specific measures related to returns implementation (e.g. issuance of travel documents, cooperation with other non-EU countries, etc.).