Rejected asylum seekers often resist the legal obligation to return. Consequently, European policy makers tasked with migration management have turned to so-called 'Assisted voluntry Return and Reintegration programmes (AVRRs) to incentivize return to and support reintegration in the country of origin.
AVRRs are described as less politically costly, simpler and cheaper than deportation. But with very limited monitoring and evaluation of AVRRs we know little about how well they work and whether the promised support is given. This policy brief outlines some of the compelling reasons to monitor and evaluate AVRRs.