oluntary return vs.

forced return[edit]
Voluntary return is the return of eligible persons, such as refugees, to their country of origin or
citizenship on the basis of freely expressed willingness to such return. Voluntary return, unlike
expulsion and deportation, which are actions of sovereign states, is defined as a personal right
under specific conditions described in various international instruments, such as the OAU
Convention, along with customary international law.
Some countries offer financial support to refugees and immigrants in order to facilitate the
process of starting a new life in their country of origin. Examples of 21st century voluntary return
include the Danish government, which began in 2009, offering £12,000 each to immigrants to
return,[1] Switzerland offering around 6,500 Francs, targeted for business startups upon returning
home,[2] as well Ireland.[3] Germany in 2016 allocated €150 million over three years for migrants
willing to return,[4] and the Swedish government began offering £3,500 each.[5] 544 Nigerians
returned home from Switzerland in 2013.[6] This financial support may also be considered as
residency buyouts.
Two countries may have a re-admission agreement, which establishes procedures, on a
reciprocal basis, for one state to return irregular non-nationals to their country of origin or a
country through which they have transited.[7] Illegal immigrants are frequently repatriated as a
matter of government policy. Repatriation measures of voluntary return, with financial assistance,
as well as measures of deportation are used in many countries.
As repatriation can be voluntary or forced the term is also used as a euphemism for deportation.
Involuntary or forced repatriation is the return of refugees, prisoners of war, or civil detainees to
their country of origin under circumstances that leave no other viable alternatives. According to
contemporary international law, prisoners of war, civil detainees, or refugees refusing
repatriation, particularly if motivated by fears of political persecution in their own country, should
be protected from refoulement and given, if possible, temporary or permanent asylum.[7] The
forced return of people to countries where they would face persecution is more specifically
known as refoulement, which is against international law.