Objective 21: Cooperate in facilitating safe and dignified return and readmission, as well as sustainable reintegration

The Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) is a European Union (EU)-funded initiative supporting the external dimension of EU migration policy. Launched in January 2016, the MPF supports dialogue and cooperation on migration and mobility between EU Member States and priority partner countries outside the EU.  

The MPF, currently in its fourth phase, operates mainly through grants aligned with priorities outlined in its Calls for Proposals. MPF grants cover two main thematic areas:

The Government of India launched an initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct skill mapping of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM). SWADES was a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs which aimed to create a database of returning citizens based on their skill sets and experience.

Young Generations as Change Agents (YGCA) is a mobility scheme between Morocco and Spain for studying purposes, enabling Moroccan post-graduates to enhance and strengthen their skills through a master’s degree in Spain. A selection of students has the opportunity to subsequently launch tailored projects upon their return to Morocco, through which they will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of specific key social and economic sectors and positively affect their communities of origin.

Mexico has developed a series of protocols and documents to guarantee the rights of people in mobility contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially related to the right to health.

These instruments are the following: 

Justice for Wage Theft is a campaign platform created by Migrant Forum in Asia calling for measures to protect migrant workers who have been denied wages and repatriated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The platform contains:

• policy briefs and other information about the situation
• curated news articles
• a petition that visitors can sign
• a submission form that visitors can use to alert Migrant Forum in Asia to cases of non-payment of wages, benefits and dues
• campaign posters

The successful reintegration of migrant workers once they return to Sri Lanka relies on the workers providing evidence of their expertise and experience acquired overseas. Furthermore, a worker's ability to secure employment is linked with their skills and competencies. Presenting proof of expertise and experience acquired can be difficult for low and semi-skilled returnee migrant workers and workers in Sri Lanka. Although Sri Lanka has an established national skills assessment system, there is no systematic method of recognizing the skills of workers.

In the context of return migration, Mexico also started to certify labour competencies, such as knowledge, abilities and skills, of Mexican returnees to facilitate their socio-economic reintegration.

Spain offers universal access to basic health services. Beyond the most favourable scheme enjoyed by EU nationals covered by EU common legislation, all migrants staying in Spain, irrespective of legal status, have access to the basic national health system. This measure has proved its utility during the pandemic.

This policy brief provides information and identifies a number of key recommendations to assist governments and other stakeholders in designing COVID-19 policy responses that can help to ensure the protection of migrant workers, as well as to inform responses for the protection of refugees and those displaced working in countries other than their own, differentiated by gender as appropriate and based upon relevant international labour standards, and ILO guidance and good practices.