Magnet II

MAGNET II was a job placement project for Returnees from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK returning voluntarily to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) and built on the MAGNET Project pilot phase (January 2012 – June 2013) which provided job placement assistance and support to Iraqi voluntary returnees. The project was implemented from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016 – and was managed by the IOM Paris office, in close cooperation with IOM Iraq and other IOM offices in the participating countries. MAGNET II is funded by the EU Return Fund and co-funded by the French Ministry of Interior (Immigration Directorate), the British Home Office, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) and the Dutch Repatriation and Departure Service (Ministry of Security and Justice). The project implementation was further supported by the Kurdistan Regional Government (Bureau of Migration and Displacement, and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs).

MAGNET II  supported Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) beneficiaries who often encounter difficulties in finding employment on their own, having spent extended periods of time abroad. At the same time, the project helped local businesses in the booming KR-I economy who were in need of staff. The project remined us of the importance of financial security provided by stable employment for returnees – it is key to emotional and material well-being and thus to successful reintegration into the community.

For more information, contact Ms. Jacqueline Hall (email: jhall@iom.int, tel: +32 (0) 2 287 74 13).