Overview
The Return Counsellor is responsible for undertaking return counselling and providing information on Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) to asylum seekers in Federal Asylum Centres.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide specific return counselling services and extensive information on AVRR to asylum seekers.
- Organize and facilitate safe journeys home in cooperation with relevant Swiss governmental authorities.
- Organize travel documents in coordination with SEM for migrants who do not have them.
- Liaise with IOM Bern when using its various AVRR support services.
- Input all activities in the eRetour and IOM database (Mimosa), as well as filing on individual cases.
- Participate in drafting and updating project reports, statistical, narrative reports, handbooks dedicated to return counselling and the internal newsletter Going Home.
- Liaise with all relevant partners in the respective reception centres and ensure good information flows.
- Keep regular meetings, efficient cooperation on cases and information flows with return counsellors in the Basel center and in the North-West region.
- Liaise with consulates, consular sections and country missions for the issuance of travel documents, where applicable.
- Provide information to IOM missions and other counterparts on Swiss AVRR case processing and counselling experience.
- Cooperate on capacity-building and skills exchange projects aiming at empowering AVRR activities in Switzerland and abroad.
- Ensure the visibility of the presence of IOM in the center and its role as Return Counsellor.
- Perform other duties as may be assigned.
Required Experience
- Experience in the general area of program and project operations, logistics and coordination.
- Experience in working with UN, Government agency, or NGO.
- Experience in communications and liaison with particular emphasis on contact with migrants and counselling.
- In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration issues in Switzerland.
Qualifications
• University degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in Social work, Political Science, International Politics, Social Sciences or a related field from an accredited academic institution with 3 years of relevant professional experience.
