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1.4 STATISTICS ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN
TABLE 1
STATISTICS ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN
Departed Foreigners Following the Issuance of Expulsion Orders
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Number of Persons 1,770 1,220 881 857 765
Expulsions
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Number of Persons 216 102 51 35 27
In 2002 there were 235 expulsion orders and in 2003 (January to October) 153.
1.5 BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED
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ESTONIA
Under the PHARE Horizontal Programme, Estonian officials received extensive support in the
implementation of the EU acquis requirements on asylum. The project consisted of a series of
round table meetings, workshops and study visits to identify and address gaps and needs in the
Estonian legal system, and in its institutional structures and capacities in regard to asylum.
Estonian officials have benefited from a number of expert meetings on asylum-related practices,
amongst them the exchange of knowledge and practices in the field of expulsion and mandatory
repatriation of rejected asylum seekers.
Estonia, Russia and Finland have concluded a border guard cooperation protocol in order to
enhance the exchange of information on irregular immigration and strengthen their fight against
human smuggling. In addition to this, the German Border Guards (BGS) have provided monthly
overviews on illegal migration and document forgery. Estonia also participates in the European
Union Council meetings of the working group on illegal immigration (CIREFI). In 1999,
Estonia, Latvia and Russia jointly established an initiative focusing on the detection and discovery
of illegal immigrants, their routes and methods.
2. ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN
2.1 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PROVISIONS
Since 1922, the government of Estonia has supported destitute migrants who wish to return to
their home countries by providing return assistance under the Migration Fund. The Fund was