Who we are and what we do
The Voluntary Returns Project (VRP) is part of the Refugee Council’s Policy and Public Affairs section. The section seeks to influence the UK, international and European agendas to ensure the highest standards of refugee protection.
The objectives which guide our work on voluntary return are to ensure that the protection needs of refugees are upheld, and that when refugees and asylum seekers return they will be safe and free from a fear of persecution, are treated with dignity and that they have the prospect of decent livelihoods in conditions allowing their return to be sustainable. The VRP is funded by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to contribute to the development of voluntary and assisted return programmes for refugees and asylum seekers, to co-ordinate and produce information relevant to voluntary return and to resource and facilitate implementation groups of agencies involved in voluntary return programmes.
The project also works to assist the input of Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) into voluntary return policies and programmes. RCOs who wish to find out about this work or who are interested in having an input into developing return policies and programmes, should contact the VRP.
The VRP also produces mailings about voluntary return and related matters for refugee community organisations for Iraq and Afghanistan.
