Panel: The challenge of evidence – Status quo and methodological approaches of assessing the effectiveness of assisted return and reintegration

Abstract

Programs for Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) of migrants to their countries of origin have been established tools in the field of migration management since the 1970s. The empirical analysis to assess the effectiveness of AVRR programs has so far only represented a small part within the broader field of migration research. To date, the empirical evidence in this subfield remains fragmented while efforts to apply more rigorous methods to assessing the effectiveness of AVRR measures increased in recent years. One reason for the scarcity of empirical research on that question can be found in the variety of prevailing methodological challenges. Empirical studies often struggle to identify people who have taken part in AVRR measures and even more to establish a control or comparison group of returnees who did not participate in the program. Questions of access to the target group and sampling seem to be key challenges in the search for robust evidence. Nevertheless, there have been several empirical studies on the subject in recent years. In this panel, we want to offer a forum to those dealing with empirical analysis of the effectiveness of return migration and sustainable reintegration. What were the methodological pitfalls and how were they solved? What evidence base has been established to date and what are generalizable results that can contribute to cumulative knowledge creation? The panel is intended to promote exchange within the research community on AVRR, to share experiences in field work and to encourage joint solutions to methodological challenges.

hybrid event