The FAiR (Finding Agreement in Return) project will assess the legitimacy deficits and dilemmas of enforced return, and alternatives to return in Europe. A host of irregular migrants currently live in de facto “limbo” conditions in Europe, with significant economic and human costs. According to registrations, less than 20% of all non-European nationals receiving an order to leave, voluntarily return to a third country or are deported. Those not returning receive limited opportunities to regularize their stay, since states fear that regularization attracts irregular migration, and will not be supported by voters. FAiR promises to bolster EU return migration governance by addressing the legitimacy deficits that plague policies on return and alternatives to return. FAiR complements dominant rational choice perspectives by systematically assessing the importance of norms, frames and shared meanings for intergovernmental cooperation on return. Together with stakeholders in EU+ and non-EU+ countries, FAiR pushes quantitative and qualitative research boundaries in the field, focusing on 5 non-EU+ (Georgia, Iraq, Niger, Nigeria, Turkey) and 5 EU+ states (Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Switzerland). Specific contributions of FAiR include: econometric models to reduce measurement bias in Eurostat return data; better measurements of Europe’s return policies through a Migration Return Policy Index (MIREX); causal inference analysis for all EU+ countries on the effects of policy and non-policy drivers of enforced return; a large survey experiment in 10 EU+ countries on public support for alternatives to return policies; improved guidelines for the human rights monitoring of enforced return; and, a negotiation and implementation game that will help international actors to reach agreement on return and readmission. FAiR offers multidisciplinary expertise and comprises a mix of academic, policy research, governmental and irregular migrant advocacy organisations, spanning Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The Project 101094828 — FAiR is funded within the HORIZON-CL2-2022-TRANSFORMATIONS-01 call of the European Union. The Coordinator of the project is the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (the Netherlands). Partners in the project are the Foundation for Access to Rights (Bulgaria), Instytut Nauk Prawnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk (Poland), Migration Policy Group (Belgium), Universitat Fur Weiterbildung Krems (Austria), Universita Degli Studi Di Milano (Italy), Samuel Hall East Africa (Kenya), International Centre For Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Koc University (Turkey) and Platform For International Cooperation On Undocumented Migrants (PICUM).

The project’s implementation started on 1 May 2023 and will last for 42 months.

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What happens after Europe tells someone to leave?

A new short film looks at what happens when Europe tells someone to leave, and why return is often more complex than a return decision suggests.

Return is high on the political agenda in the Netherlands and across Europe. Countries are working on stricter return policies and looking at new ways to return people without legal residence, including so-called return hubs.

But a return decision does not always mean that someone will return.

Researchers from FAiR (Finding Agreement in Return) have spent more than three years studying what happens before, during and after return. The European research project, led by Erasmus University Rotterdam, shows that people may not be able to return because their country of origin does not accept them, because returning is unsafe, or because they have no good prospects after returning.

The research also looks at detention, deportation, reintegration and human rights. It explores where current return policies run into problems and what other approaches could make return more effective and fair.

Making research accessible

To share these findings with a wider audience, the FAiR team has created a 16-minute film in the style of a late-night comedy and game show.

Using humour, storytelling and clear examples, the film explains some of the challenges around return and looks at possible alternatives. These include regularisation, better reintegration programmes and independent monitoring of human rights.

From research to public debate

The film provides an accessible introduction to the research behind the current debate on return. It asks what happens when return does not take place, why current policies can fall short, and what other options may be possible. 

Watch the FAiR film:

Joint Statement on the European Commission's Proposal for a Common System for Returns -