An international seminar "Reintegration best practices and lessons learned: from Italy to Iraq" organized by the IOM Vilnius Office took place on 19 April 2011 at "Europa Royale Vilnius". During the seminar, a model for the delivery of reintegration assistance to third country nationals voluntarily returning from Lithuania as well as the preliminary assessment of its effectiveness was introduced. Presentations were also delivered by migration experts from hot spots - Italy and Iraq. For the agenda of the seminar click here.

Mr Jose Angel Oropeza, Chief of Mission, IOM Rome, presented Italy's experience in the field of reintegration with a particular emphasis on tailoring reintegration assistance to the needs of vulnerable returnees and receiving communities in countries of origin. For the full presentation click here.

Mr Nicola Graviano, Programme Coordinator, IOM Iraq, reflected on reintegration assistance from the country of origin perspective. After an overview of key reintegration trends in Iraq, the guest speaker focused on the specifics of providing reintegration assistance in conflict zones and politicaly volatile areas. For the full presentation click here.

The importance of reintegration projects for Lithuania was underlined and IOM Vilnius activities in the field were also introduced to the participants of the seminar. Laura Mačiulskaitė, Project Manager, IOM Vilnius, discussed the first reintegration cases of returnees from Lithuania in Moldova, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and presented the prepared evaluation report with guidelines for further development of the programme. For the full presentation (available in Lithuanian only) click here.

The seminar was attended by representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Social Protection and Labour and Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Migration Department and State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of the Interior, Migration Board of the Vilnius County Police Headquarters, Refugee Reception Centre, Central Project Management Agency, UNHCR, diplomatic representations and NGOs.

With the aim of publicizing project activities, a press release about this international event was disseminated.

The international seminar "Reintegration best practices and lessons learned: from Italy to Iraq" was organized within the framework of the project "Reintegration in Countries of Origin" implemented under the European Return Fund 2009 Annual Programme. Project activities are funded by the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania.

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