Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Pilot Program

The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) pilot program is intended to support the CBSA’s removals program by providing a mechanism to facilitate the voluntary return of failed refugee claimants to their country of origin.

Failed refugee claimants who meet the AVRR program eligibility criteria defined by the CBSA will be provided assistance in returning to their home country and reintegration aid to create the conditions necessary for a sustainable return.

The pilot program is being implemented exclusively within the Greater Toronto Area. It began on June 29, 2012, and will run until March 31, 2015.

To deliver the pilot, the CBSA is partnering with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is responsible for managing the voluntary returns in a timely manner.

By increasing the number of voluntary returns and redirecting these lower-risk cases to the IOM, the AVRR pilot will free up vital CBSA enforcement resources for higher priority removal cases. It will also expedite the removals process for lower-risk cases, which means that failed claimants will spend less time in Canada receiving social and health benefits.

More information on the AVRR is available on the CBSA’s Web site.