What is the Financial Support to Assisted Voluntary Return (FSR) program?

The Financial Support to Assisted Voluntary Return (FSR) program is a return with reintegration support program for asylum seekers and migrants in irregular situation who wish to return voluntary from Norway to their country of origin. It is a return option organized with the interest and participation of the returnee.

Since May 2002 IOM Oslo has been assisting unsuccessful asylum seekers and migrants in irregular situation to return voluntarily to over 110 countries of origin under the auspices of Voluntary Assisted Return Program (VARP).

From May 2002 till June 2010, over 7000 individuals were provided with return assistance and left Norway to their respective countries of origin. Since 2006 Afghan nationals and from 2008 Iraqi nationals, who chose to return to their countries of origin with IOM, receive both cash and in-kind assistance upon return.

IOM Oslo extended the cash assistance under the FSR return with reintegration support program in September 2009. From July 2010 the cash grant amount varies between 10.000 NOK and 20.000 NOK depending on the legal status (asylum process stage) of the person applying for the support.

The distribution of the grants is graded in the following way:

1. NOK 20.000 is offered to persons who apply for voluntary return within the deadline of assigned departure date. This includes also persons that apply before they have been given a deadline for departure.

2. Persons who apply within 2 months after departure deadline receive NOK 15.000.

3. Persons who apply later then this receive NOK 10.000.

Cash support is to be used by the returnee to facilitate his/her reinsertion in the local community. The project is foreseen to provide assistance to 400 voluntary returnees by the end of 2010.

For more information, please consult UDI’s website.