Zain and his wife, Kifah, came to Ireland in 2005 to apply for asylum. After their application was approved, they lived in a small apartment for nearly six years while Zain worked a series of short-term jobs. In 2011, however, a family emergency forced them to consider whether they could remain in Ireland. Zain’s father had fallen ill and was now unable to support his wife and Zain’s younger sister. Zain and Kifah decided that they needed to return to Pakistan to care for the family, but they were unable to afford the costs of travel. They were also concerned that after so much time away, Zain would be unable to find a job in Pakistan.

Zain spoke to friends about the situation and they told him about the VARRP. Zain and Kifah decided to approach IOM because not only could they receive travel assistance, but Zain could also apply for the grant to help him establish a business. They returned to Pakistan as quickly as they could, and Zain applied for the grant immediately.

Uzair came to Ireland in 2006, hoping to find work that would allow him to support his wife and parents in Pakistan. He worked for four years at a variety of odd jobs. In 2011, he became unemployed and could not find a place to live. He could not find another job because he did not have a work permit.

A solicitor told Uzair that IOM could help him return to Pakistan. He made an appointment with staff in the Dublin office and learned that IOM could assist him.

Tahir left Pakistan in 2007 because he was facing dangerous living conditions. He hired a middleman to help him leave the country, and was promised that he would be taken to Canada. Although he paid for that passage, he never reached Canada. Tahir instead ended up in Ireland. He decided to stay, as he also felt safe there. He applied for asylum at the airport and was placed in an accommodation centre, where he lived for two years.

Of those two years, Tahir said, “In the hostel there are lot of people who had been there for eight or ten years. They told me ‘you better think to go back.’ One day IOM came to visit in the hostel. They told me if you think about going back, contact me. Then I contacted IOM and asked if it is okay to come back.”

IOM assisted Tahir in purchasing a plane ticket and arranging his travel documents. He also applied for the reintegration grant, which he used to open a textile business with a friend. He had studied and worked in this industry before leaving Pakistan, so he decided to carry on with the profession. The business is working so far, and although it makes “a very small profit,” Tahir can see himself continuing to expand it in the next few years. He says, “People from outside this area come here. If your work is good then people come back again, but if it is not good, they go to another shop.”

Salima left Pakistan to travel to Ireland in 2010, where she met her husband. They were living together for some time when the relationship broke down.  Salima then decided to apply for asylum and moved into an accommodation centre for several months. Salima had heard about the voluntary return programme through IOM and established contact. After some thought she decided that she still wanted to stay in Ireland and decided not to proceed. However, she did not want to continue living in the accommodation centre.

Salima contacted a family she knew from Pakistan who were living in Dublin. They had previously offered her a place in their house and to help her with her asylum claim. After she moved in with them, however, she discovered that they were not able to provide the assistance they promised and she was not happy with the living conditions. Once she realized this, Salima decided to approach IOM once again for assistance in returning to Pakistan.

After she returned, Salima applied for reintegration assistance through the IOM office in Lahore. She used the fund to start a clothing business, where she is able to design, sell, and trade clothing. “I make clothes, because I am a designer, and send them to my sister to Dubai.

Raza went to Ireland with his wife and child in 2006 to apply for asylum. During his time as an asylum seeker he had no permission to work, but he sometimes took a part-time job delivering pizzas to earn a little money for his family. Raza and his family waited for three years in the asylum process but grew frustrated with the long wait. By then Raza and his wife had four children, three of whom had been born in Ireland.

Raza heard about IOM’s voluntary return program from a friend, and wanted to ask for more information. He went to the office in Dublin and, after speaking with staff, decided that it would be best for his family to return to Pakistan. IOM organized their travel documents and purchased plane tickets to their hometown.

Once in Pakistan, they stayed with Raza’s mother and father. During his time in Ireland they had never lost the contact with his family. Raza and his wife had encouraged the children, who were always very curious about their relatives, to speak to their grandparents often and learn about Pakistan. Raza said, “The first time they came to Pakistan they were very shocked, asking for everything.”

Naveed came to Ireland in 2010 to find work, leaving his wife and children in Pakistan. He lived in Dublin for almost one year, working several jobs that allowed him to send money to his family. Without a work permit, however, he could not find long-term employment. He realized that it would be better to return to Pakistan to pursue a career.

Naveed approached IOM to ask for assistance in returning because he did not want to burden his family financially. Through IOM, he was able to organize his travel papers and purchase a plane ticket to Lahore. When he learned that he could apply for reintegration assistance, he also began planning to start a business once he returned.

Jalal left Pakistan in 2007 to find work in Ireland. He lived  there for three years, working several jobs. In 2010, however, he became unemployed and could not support himself. He decided to return to Pakistan but did not want to be deported.

A friend told Jalal that IOM could assist him with organizing his paperwork to return to Pakistan. Jalal met with IOM in Dublin and also received support with his travel costs. He learned that he could apply for a reintegration grant in Pakistan and use the fund to help him start a business.

When Faisal struggled to find work in Pakistan in 2005, he moved to Ireland with the hope that he would improve his English and find better employment opportunities. He lived in Dublin for three years as an irregular migrant. When the economy in Irelandslowed, it became more difficult for Faisal to find jobs without a work permit. Without any support from his family, Faisal could not make ends meet in Ireland. He wanted to return to Pakistan.

Friends told Faisal that IOM Ireland could help him to return by organizing his plane tickets and travel papers. Faisal made an appointment to discuss his options with the staff in the Dublin office. He learned that through the Voluntary Assisted Return program, he was also able to apply for a reintegration grant that would assist him in starting a business.