Return with Dignity, Return to What?

The report evaluates the IRRANA programme, finding that financial incentives and reintegration support did not encourage voluntary return; instead, decisions were driven by the desire to avoid forced deportation or the frustration of prolonged asylum processes. Reintegration efforts, primarily focused on small business grants, were largely unsuccessful, with many businesses serving as 'sham' mechanisms to access cash. The report recommends institutionalising skills training for asylum seekers while in Norway and restructuring reintegration support to include genuine job referrals and training alternatives.

• Financial incentives, including the cash grant and reintegration support, did not motivate Afghan nationals to return voluntarily. Most respondents decided to return to avoid the indignity of forced deportation or because they wished to respect Norwegian law.
• A minority of returnees chose to leave Norway before receiving a final asylum decision, primarily due to the mental stress, uncertainty, and passivity associated with long stays in reception centres.
• The reintegration programme's business component was largely ineffective, with many enterprises existing only on paper or closing quickly. These 'sham businesses' were often used as a detour to convert in-kind grants into cash.
• The business support grant of 10,000 NOK was considered insufficient by both returnees and staff to establish sustainable enterprises, leading to a reliance on partnerships that often failed.
• Information efforts in Norway were only partially successful; many returnees had incomplete or incorrect knowledge of the programme's reintegration options, often only hearing about the business grant.
• Returnees identified general insecurity in Afghanistan and a severe lack of economic opportunities as the primary challenges to sustainable reintegration, leading most to express an intention to re-migrate.
• The report suggests that providing vocational training and language courses to asylum seekers while they are in Norway would reduce stress and improve their ability to reintegrate upon return.
• Comparative analysis of the UK and Denmark suggests that monetary incentives have a limited effect on return rates, and that comprehensive pre-departure training, such as Denmark's 'want2work' project, is a more effective model.

APA

Suhrke'], [. S. '. A. '. W. C. '. B. H. '. S. '. (2008). Return with Dignity, Return to What? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/61454af7-9a88-4a6d-ac07-a3dbbd6593a3/Return in Dignity Return to What Review of Voluntary Return Programme to Afghanistan.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Suhrke'], ['Arne Strand', 'Arghawan Akbari', 'Torunn Wimpelmann Chaudhary', 'Kristian Berg Harpviken', 'Akbar Sarwari', 'Astri. Return with Dignity, Return to What? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2008. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/61454af7-9a88-4a6d-ac07-a3dbbd6593a3/Return in Dignity Return to What Review of Voluntary Return Programme to Afghanistan.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Suhrke'] |first1=['Arne Strand', 'Arghawan Akbari', 'Torunn Wimpelmann Chaudhary', 'Kristian Berg Harpviken', 'Akbar Sarwari', 'Astri |title=Return with Dignity, Return to What? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2008 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/61454af7-9a88-4a6d-ac07-a3dbbd6593a3/Return in Dignity Return to What Review of Voluntary Return Programme to Afghanistan.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{suhrke2008return, author = {Suhrke'], ['Arne Strand', 'Arghawan Akbari', 'Torunn Wimpelmann Chaudhary', 'Kristian Berg Harpviken', 'Akbar Sarwari', 'Astri}, title = {{Return with Dignity, Return to What?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2008}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/61454af7-9a88-4a6d-ac07-a3dbbd6593a3/Return in Dignity Return to What Review of Voluntary Return Programme to Afghanistan.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }