Assisted voluntary return programmes and so-called policy on voluntary return in Western Europe has today becoming a part of single EU-wide removal policy. It function as a migration management tool that can enhance that aim to efficiency in the ‘illegalized’ migrants leave the territory as well as an attempt to make removal a more humane and dignified process.
This study seeks to give a further understanding how the programmes and policy how and why they have developed into its contemporary form in Western Europe and in particular Sweden. And conclude that the stated voluntariness of the programmes and policy has gradually blurred and shifted target groups. The reason to these gradual developments can understand as response to problematizations at different points in history.
Diverse actors are involved in the formulation, facilitation, and promotion of so called assisted voluntary return. The second aim of this paper is to state and non-state actors in Sweden understands their involvement, practices and role in assisting rejected asylum seeker in the process of leaving the territory and going to country of origin.
The states agents’ role has become to persuade the rejected person to leave by using sticks and carrots. The non-state actors research, the Swedish Red Cross, Swedish Church and the IRARA, aim to improve or facilitate the practice it in desired way through information and support. These actors do not challenge the prevailing logics of the practices of removal. Instead they actors stress having a different motives for engaging and has having different designated roles. Overall, the policy and practices are converging vertically in EU and horizontally between state and non- state actors.