returnees — Publications

DELMI – Those who were sent back: Return and reintegration of rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan and Iraq

October 2021

This 2019/2020 study was commissioned by the Swedish Migration Studies Delegation (DELMI), with fieldwork by Samuel Hall. Results are based on 100 interviews with migrants who have returned voluntarily and involuntarily to Afghanistan and Iraq. Respondents answered questions about their lives before arrival to Sweden, the asylum and return process. The study sought to actively embed local researchers and civil society organisations in the research design, to create a deeper evidence-base for advocacy and aid nuanced understanding of the challenges of return decision-making, reintegration and post-return monitoring.

Download Policy Brief

Download Report

War Child - Coming Back to Afghanistan: Deported Minors' Needs at a Time of COVID-19

July 2020

Unaccompanied children on the move have become more common. This demographic shift calls for a transition to child-sensitive return programmes and policies – yet despite increased returns and deportations, support has decreased over the last decade in Afghanistan. COVID-19 has increased the risks of returns, and the response to the pandemic remains insufficient to meet the needs at the border - especially for children and women. This research was conducted by Samuel Hall for War Child UK and UNICEF to assess the impact of COVID-19 on minor deportees and returnees. It provides actionable learning to inform more effective and relevant design, implementation, and adjustment of future interventions targeting minor deportees.

Download Report

War Child - Coming Back to Afghanistan: Study on Deported Minors’ Return and Reintegration Needs in the Western Region

December 2019

Samuel Hall was commissioned by War Child to conduct a study that provides a comprehensive understanding of the existing Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) regarding the unsafe migration of unaccompanied children to Iran. Primary data collection was conducted in Herat and Badghis provinces. The study also targeted parents and communities of children at risk of unsafe migration or experienced unsafe migration. This study contributes to charting a path forward for a post-deportation protection framework adapted to the protection profiles and needs of unaccompanied minors, their families and communities of return.

Download Report

IOM - Community Mapping and Socio-Economic Profiling of Communities of Return in West Africa

August 2019

Samuel Hall was commissioned by IOM under the EUTF-funded joint initiative to conduct a regional assessment of communities of return in 11 West African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal). The Joint Initiative seeks to strengthen the reintegration of returning migrants. Along with a socio-economic assessment of each community, Samuel Hall mapped key stakeholders, their capacities and existing services to support IOM regional offices in developing effective reintegration activities.

Download Burkina Faso Report (French)

Download Cameroon Report (French)

Download Côte D'Ivoire Report (French)

Download The Gambia Report

Download Ghana Report

Download Guinea Report (French)

Download Guinea Bissau Report

Download Mali Report (French)

Download Mauritania Report (French)

Download Nigeria Report

Download Senegal Report (French)

Save the Children - From Europe to Afghanistan: Experiences of child returnees

October 2018

This report assesses the impact on children of being returned from Europe to Afghanistan. Through interviews with individual children, their parents or guardians, and with governmental and non-governmental actors, it builds a picture of children’s material, physical, legal and psychosocial safety during the returns process.

Download Report

Save the Children - Durable Solutions For Returnee Children: What Do We Know?

September 2018

This report addresses a gap in knowledge about the often-difficult conditions of children’s return to the areas of (their parents’) origin. It gives an overview of what is known (and what is not) about the return of displaced children to Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Syria, four of the most important contexts of return today.

Download Report

Syria's Spontaneous Returns

July 2018

This study seeks to provide an analysis of the current returns to Syria. The ongoing armed conflict in Syria has displaced millions of people inside and outside the country sparking an international humanitarian crisis. There is no clear picture of the number or conditions in places of return. This research contributes to filling this gap.

Download Publication

IOM/DFID - Setting Standards for an Integrated Approach to Reintegration

January 2018

This report, prepared and conducted by Samuel Hall under the IOM DFID-funded MEASURE Project, outlines recommendations to support sustainable reintegration of migrants who return to their home countries in the framework of AVRR programmes.

Download Report

NRC - Going "Home" to Displacement

December 2017

The data presented in this case study is drawn from 2017 research on IDPs’ protection needs carried out by Samuel Hall for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). A large quantitative survey was conducted in Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz and Nangarhar provinces, where data was collected in rural, peri-urban and urban areas. Of 2,580 respondents, 1,161 were returnee-IDPs and 1,420 other IDPs. The sample data is neither representative nor random, but combined with focus group discussions with displaced people and other community members, the research captures their narratives, protection needs and experiences.

Download Case Study

DRC/UDI - Returns to Somalia: Setting Protection and Livelihood Standards

September 2016

Returns to (post-)conflict and fragile settings, from Afghanistan to Somalia, are increasing. The literature is clear on the return challenges to such contexts, and the diverse array of expectations of (re-)integration that differ depending on age, gender, timing and duration of exile, and conditions in exile. What this report measures is therefore not the impact of a program, as the overall context includes this complex backdrop of hopes and dreams, caught by reality and ultimately, by unplanned outcomes.

Download Report

UNHCR/Samuel Hall - Towards Durable Solutions: Expectations vs. Reality - Perceptions of Unassisted Returns to Somalia

December 2015

In 2015, Samuel Hall conducted a study to document conditions of unassisted spontaneous returns of Somalis. Starting with decision-making processes up to the conditions of returnees post-return, the study provides a cross border, longitudinal view of spontaneous return as a process that begins in Kenya.

Download Report

DACAAR - Agency and Choice Among the Displaced

July 2015

The focus of this study was on the decision-making process behind refugee returnees’ and IDPs’ choices of destination. More specifically this research identifies factors that influence whether a returnee/IDP individual, family or community chooses to move to an urban or a rural location.

Download Report

Download Executive Summary (Dari)

OCHA - June Humanitarian Bulletin

June 2015

The focus of humanitarian and development assistance should be on the poorest families; many of whom will be either internally displaced or returnees. However, the argument for targeting returning refugees as a particular group is becoming less convincing. As this study and previous studies (Samuel Hall/MGSOG 2013 UNHCR Shelter assistance programme evaluation) show, returnees are comparatively less vulnerable compared to internally displaced persons.

Download Bulletin

IOM - Evaluating IOM’s Return and Reintegration Activities for Returnees and Other Displaced Populations

August 2014

This evaluation presents key findings from an assessment of IOM’s return and reintegration activities (2008 – 2013) in the provinces of Kabul, Nangarhar, Nimroz and Heart in Afghanistan. These activities included: post-arrival assistance, livelihood assistance and shelter assistance for deported and voluntary returnees and other vulnerable groups.

Download Report

Download the Executive Summary

NRC - Evaluation of NRC's Youth Education Pack (YEP)

July 2014

This report is an evaluation of the YEP project using the OECD-DAC criteria and substantive quantitative, qualitative and contextual information from the field.

Download Report

UNHCR - Shelter Assistance Programme Evaluation

November 2012

Evaluating UNHCR shelter programme’s contribution to reintegration outcomes for returnees and IDPs. A decade and 220,000 units built: what should be the future of the shelter strategy? Analysis based on a sample of 4,488 respondents in 15 Afghan provinces.

Download Report

Download the Executive Summary

DRC - AfPak Labour Market Assessment

September 2013

Samuel Hall researchers aimed to assist DRC in planning for its livelihoods programming by answering the following key research question: ‘What are the segments of the Afghan urban labour market with the biggest labour supply gaps and future opportunities for displaced populations?’

Download Report

Solidarités International - Sustaining the Working Poor in the Kabul Informal Settlements

December 2012

This third study by Samuel Hall on the living conditions of Afghan IDPs contributes to the knowledge needed to mainstream protection in policy responses.

Download Report

Sort By:

Subscribe to our Newsletter