§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many failed asylum seekers have been assisted to return by the International Organsation for Migration (IOM) since April 2003; and what reports they have had from the IOM of the way in which the returnees have been treated by the authorities in Zimbabwe. [HL88]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalIn giving the following Answer it has been assumed that Lord Avebury has sought to establish the numbers, in relation to assisted voluntary return, which International Organisation for Migration (IOM) effect on behalf of the Home Office.
Assisted voluntary return (AVR) programmes are run by the International Organisation for Migration on behalf of the Home Office. Information on the numbers of asylum seekers who leave the UK under AVR programmes is not available.
No problems have been reported by the IOM regarding the treatment of returnees by the Zimbabwean authority.