Usun came to Ireland to study English in 2003 and was able to work-part time during his course. Once he graduated, he was not able to renew his visa. However, he found a job in a local restaurant. In 2010, the restaurant closed and Usun decided to return to Mongolia to be with his family.

Usun went to the guardaí to ask if there were any resources to help him. The guardaí told him about IOM’s AVRR VARRP, and Usun made an appointment with the Dublin office. He was eligible to receive support for his return.

After he returned, it took Usun about a month to feel settled. He was surprised at how much Mongolia had changed in his time away, and he liked the positive developments.  Usun applied for the reintegration grant to start a small shop where he could make and sell slippers. He chose to do it in his hometown because, although the market is bigger in Ulaanbaatar, there was also more competition. “Where I live it is very cold, so there is a higher demand for the products.”

When Tutei could not find work in Mongolia, he decided to go abroad. Some of his family members lived in Ireland, and they invited him to stay with them. For three years, Tutei was able to find temporary jobs but no steady work. In 2010, he became unemployed for several months, and could not support himself anymore.

A neighbour told Tutei about IOM, and he applied for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme. He began making a business plan immediately so that he could apply for the reintegration grant in Mongolia. He used the fund to purchase woodworking and electrical tools, but the work was very irregular. Eventually, he was hired to work in Mongolia’s expanding mining industry. In his spare time, he is still able to take small orders for woodwork at home.

In 2010, Temur completed marketing school in Mongolia but did not have the money to earn a full degree. He was unable to find a job, and so he and his wife moved to Ireland to make a better life for themselves.  Temur wanted “to go out in the world and to succeed.” He found many jobs in Ireland but could not keep one for long because he had no work permit. He and his wife had spent their savings moving to Ireland, and they could not afford to find a place to live. They wanted to return to Mongolia, but needed help to do so.

Temur and his wife applied for voluntary return through IOM. They were grateful for the opportunity to return with assistance. He and his wife resettled in Mongolia quickly, and Temur applied for the reintegration grant.

Suren left Mongolia in 2010 because she wanted to experience living in another culture. She also wanted to learn English, so she came to Ireland and stayed for one year. She did not have a work permit, but managed to find small jobs to support herself. Eventually, however, she became unemployed and could not pay her rent. Suren decided that she needed to return to Mongolia. She had heard about IOM from friends, and called the office in Dublin to ask for information about the VARRP.

Suren learned that IOM could help her travel back to Mongolia, and could assist her with her documentation. She also found out that she could apply for reintegration assistance. Suren had earned part of her law degree, and considered using the money to complete university. But she had also dreamed of opening a crèche. Suren decided to apply for the grant to help her open the crèche, saying that her time in Ireland had given her the courage to start the business. She also knew that if her business was successful, she could pay for her college tuition in a few years’ time.

Twenty-one days after Suren approached IOM, she returned to Mongolia. She was assisted in her transit airport by IOM staff, and also travelled with other returnees before arriving in Mongolia on her own. Suren moved back in with her parents and then immediately applied for the reintegration grant. She said it took her a few weeks to adjust to Mongolia again, but felt at home very quickly. She was surprised at how much Mongolia had changed, and that everything was more expensive.

After finding a space near a playground to start the crèche, Suren painted and prepared the place herself. She used most of the grant to buy an oven so that she could provide meals as part of her service. She also applied for a licence from the Education Department, and purchased insurance.

Nayan left Mongolia in 2005 to move to Ireland because she heard from friends that there were good job opportunities there. She lived and worked for six years as an irregular migrant, during which time her child was born.

After a few years, Nayan found herself struggling to find employment. She worried about how to support her young child without help, and realized that she needed to return to Mongolia to be with her family. She went to Irish immigration to ask for assistance, and was told she could receive more information from IOM.

Because Nayan was in a very vulnerable situation, she was eligible to receive return assistance to Mongolia. An IOM staff member accompanied her to the airport, and another staff member was waiting for her in Mongolia when she arrived.

After returning, Nayan was glad to see her parents and friends, and she received support from them while she resettled. Her child had a difficult time adapting to life in Mongolia because she had gone to school in Ireland and spoke only English. Nayan stayed with her parents for a few months before she was able to move into her own home.

When Maral could not find steady work in Mongolia, she came to Ireland in 2007. She found jobs in housekeeping, hotel work, and shops. In 2010, however, she was unemployed for several months and could not afford housing. She decided to return to Mongolia.

Maral knew three other people who returned with IOM assistance, so she applied to the VARRP. After she returned, she also applied for a reintegration grant to start a small business.

Maral had a hard time adjusting to life in Mongolia. She found it much more expensive than when she had left. At first, she wanted to stay home with her family, but eventually she was ready to open her business. Maral wanted to open a greenhouse but the rents were too expensive. Instead, she found a restaurant space that she could rent with a friend. With the grant, she bought a rice cooker, water boiler, and stove to open a small kitchen.

When Maqa could not find a job in Mongolia, he and his wife decided he should learn English to improve his job skills. He enrolled in a language course in Dublin and began to work part-time. Once the course ended, Maqa could renew his visa. For several years, he took temporary jobs, trying to support his family in Mongolia.

In 2012, Maqa decided that he missed his wife and children too much to remain in Ireland. He also wanted to care for his aging parents, but could not earn enough in Ireland to do so. A friend told him about IOM’s voluntary return programme, and Maqa applied for assistance to return to Mongolia.

In 2006, Ergene and her husband moved to Ireland to find jobs. They both found part-time work, and stayed for several years. In 2011, Ergene’s father-in-law became very ill. She and her husband wanted to care for him, but could not afford to return to Mongolia. Ergene had heard about IOM from friends, so she applied for return assistance for herself and her husband.

After they returned to Mongolia, Ergene and her husband were very glad to be back with their families. They moved in with his father to support him. Ergene immediately applied for the reintegration grant so that they could start a business that would allow them to support her father-in-law from home. With the grant, they began a small wool workshop out of their home.

Battulga lived in Ireland for four months as an undocumented migrant. He struggled to find employment without a work permit, and missed his family and friends in Mongolia. He did not want to remain living in Dublin, but worried that he would not have any job opportunities if he returned to Ulaanbataar. He heard that through the voluntary return program with IOM, he could apply for a grant and that would allow him to start a business after he returned. After meeting with the IOM staff, he decided that moving back to Mongolia would be best for him.

When Battulga arrived in Mongolia, he immediately contacted an IOM partner organization to receive the grant. Instead of starting a business from the beginning, Battulga decided it would be smarter to expand an already successful café owned by his friend. With the investment, Battulga became a partial owner of the café. The business is profiting well due to his ideas, such as membership cards that result in discounts for regular customers. Battulga is planning to expand the café further and will soon hopefully be showing regular sporting events on a new TV screen.

Bataar came to Ireland to study English as a part-time student in 2004, and for five years he was able to renew his visa to allow him to work in Dublin. Unfortunately, after the economic crisis began, he was unable to find work. He decided to return to be with his family in Mongolia.

Bataar could not afford to travel home but did not want to burden his family and friends by asking for help that they could not give. Instead, he visited his local Citizen’s Information Centre to find out how he could return on his own. They put him in touch with IOM Ireland, who offered to assist him in flying back to Mongolia. IOM staff also encouraged him to apply for the reintegration grant. He admits that he was sceptical about it at first. “It is in a Mongolian’s nature,” Bataar explained. “It was surprising that people were offering to help.”

Bataar received the grant once he returned to Mongolia. He decided to use it to invest in his mother’s café by purchasing new refrigerators. This investment gave the returnee some financial security, as it ensured that he shared in a portion of the profits.  The café is now located near a busy cultural district. Because of the move, the family has been able to host events for local businesses. The café is becoming very popular.