Return - IOM Publications - International Organization for Migration

TABLE 3 (cont.)
DESTINATION OF ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURNEES:
1993-2002
183
HUNGARY
Destination 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Total
Romania 1 1
Russia 43 18 5 1 4 8 4 1 84
Senegal 1 1 2
Somalia 2 1 3
Spain 1 1
South Africa 1 1
Sri Lanka 1 1 3 2 20 27
Sudan 1 1 2
Sweden 1 1 2
Syria 3 2 4 4 13
Tunisia 2 2 9 5 5 1 24
Turkey 102 87 160 200 9 22 48 68 60 54 810
Viet Nam 3 1 1 1 25 4 7 42
USA 3 1 1 5
Uzbekistan 1 1
Yugoslavia 3 3
YU Kosovo 403 1 43 447
Total 217 326 337 391 46 281 952 458 236 204 3448
Until mid-December 2003, the number of assisted voluntary return cases has been 200. The total
number of assisted voluntary returns from 1993 to mid-December 2003 was 3,589. The above
table is the breakdown of destinations with corresponding assisted voluntary returns.
The Hungarian government pays the costs relating to the voluntary return programmes. For the
year 2003, the Hungarian Parliament granted approximately US$ 150,000 to the Ministry of
Interior for AVR purposes.
It should be noted that the cost of expulsion of an alien is much higher than the cost of voluntary
return. In 2003, the cost of implementing AVR was about US$ 700 per person. In terms of
transportation and escorts in the implementation of an expulsion case, the estimated cost is four
times higher than that of voluntary return.
2.4 BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED
The effectiveness of the AVR programme is dependent on the close level of cooperation between
IOM and the relevant Hungarian authorities. With a view to making more migrants aware of the
benefits of assisted voluntary return programmes, it is considered to further engage Border Guard
Units all over the country in sharing information at refugee centres, and providing IOM information
materials on AVR to potential beneficiaries.