In 2004, Abdur and his family made the difficult decision for Abdur to go to Ireland to apply for asylum.  They planned to reunite after a few years, believing that Abdur would be able to send for them once his status had been approved.

In Ireland, Abdur lived in an accommodation centre while his application was considered. But by 2011, he had still not been able to bring his wife and children to Ireland. Abdur wanted to return home but had no resources after seven years in the asylum system. His solicitor told him to contact IOM for return assistance, so Abdur made an appointment with the Dublin office.

Even with IOM’s support, Abdur felt anxious about returning. He knew that his home would be different, and he had not seen his family in seven years. Before he left Ireland, Abdur began preparing a business plan to establish a livelihood again.

Anu left Bangladesh in 2008 to apply for asylum in Ireland. After his application was granted, he lived and worked in Ireland for almost three years. However, he missed his family in Bangladesh and did not feel integrated into Irish life. He wanted to return but did not have the money to do so, and did not know how he could support himself if he left Ireland. Anu spoke to his friends to get advice for how he could move back to Bangladesh. He said, “There was an IOM ad placed at the hostel I lived and a friend suggested it to me. Then I contacted IOM.”

He made an appointment with IOM in Dublin to ask about voluntary return. Anu learned that IOM could assist him with purchasing the plane ticket, and also that he could apply for a reintegration grant after he returned to Bangladesh. He felt more optimistic about return knowing that he could use the grant to start a business. Anu explained, “It assured me I would get proper support when I return to Bangladesh.”