For many migrants, returning home begins with uncertainty. Some arrive after years abroad. Others return suddenly following detention, deportation, loss of employment or an unsuccessful migration journey. On arrival, they may have immediate practical needs and questions about what comes next, from contacting family and arranging onward travel to finding out what reintegration support is available.
For many migrants, returning home begins with uncertainty. Some arrive after years abroad. Others return suddenly following detention, deportation, loss of employment or an unsuccessful migration journey. On arrival, they may have immediate practical needs and questions about what comes next, from contacting family and arranging onward travel to finding out what reintegration support is available.
At Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar airports, Airport Reception Desks (ARDs) offer returnees a first point of contact. Established under the EU-funded Sustainable Reintegration of Returnees and Improved Migration Management in Pakistan (RoR) project, the ARDs bring the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) model directly to the point of arrival, linking immediate assistance with information and longer-term reintegration support.
I did not know that this kind of support existed. After everything that had happened, it felt very different to arrive and find someone there who listened to me, explained what support was available and helped me with what I needed immediately.says Umer*, who returned from Malaysia to Mardan.
Since the ARDs became operational in July 2025, they have assisted 4,502 returnees arriving from 39 countries and returning to 111 districts across Pakistan. By June 2026, almost 12,000 airport passengers had also received information about reintegration and RoR services. The assistance is practical and tailored to immediate needs. Returnees can receive food and hygiene items, help contacting their families and support with onward travel, alongside information about available reintegration services.
More than 4,000 returnees received reintegration information, while more than 2,300 received additional airport support. Feedback also points to the value of this first contact, with 99% of respondents describing the immediate services as “very helpful”.
The counsellor did not treat me like a case or a number. He asked what had happened, what I needed immediately and how I was going to get home. I felt that somebody actually cared about what happened to me after I arrived.says Farhan*, who returned from Italy to Gujranwala.
Beyond immediate assistance, the ARDs provide an opportunity to identify needs that may require longer-term support. By June 2026, 347 returnees had registered for mid- to long-term assistance, including psychosocial, legal and business counselling, as well as referrals to other services. Early contact can also help counsellors identify medical or protection concerns, psychological distress, debt, unemployment and unpaid wages.
If I had known before leaving that this support would be available when I returned to Pakistan, the decision to return would have been much easier. I thought I would have to manage everything alone.says Maaz*, who returned from Saudi Arabia to Lahore.
The approach connects reception at the point of arrival with the wider reintegration support available through the MRC model. Rather than treating immediate assistance and longer-term reintegration as separate interventions, the ARDs provide a pathway from initial needs identification to counselling, referrals, and other forms of support.
The ARD is rooted in a pilot activity in March 2023, when the MRC in Islamabad established a temporary airport reception facility with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the EU Delegation to Pakistan and selected EU Member State embassies. By October that year, it had supported more than 500 returnees, while 25 returnees were referred to skills development programmes. The pilot provided an opportunity to test airport-based counselling and reception before the RoR project developed the approach into a more systematic service linked to the wider MRC structure.
The ARDs are integrated into the airport presence of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), helping national staff gain direct insight into the practical, financial and psychosocial challenges returnees face. The project also works closely with the FIA, Airport Security Force and other airport stakeholders to help returnees navigate formal procedures and access relevant support, including when larger groups arrive together.
The operational experience is also feeding into Pakistan’s wider reintegration system. By June 2026, 24 Community Welfare Attachés had completed capacity-building on sustainable reintegration and vulnerability-based assistance. The project’s Advisory Board had endorsed the National Reintegration Policy for further review, while work had begun to revise FIA procedures for handling returnees and deportees.
The experience of the ARDs highlights the value of connecting immediate reception with longer-term reintegration support. For returnees, timely information and practical assistance at the point of arrival can help address immediate needs and identify further support. For national institutions, the model provides a mechanism for linking airport-level experience with broader reintegration systems and procedures.
As the ARD model continues to develop, its first year of full-scale operation demonstrates how a relatively simple intervention at the point of arrival can contribute to a more connected approach to reintegration — one that begins with understanding a returnee’s immediate circumstances and continues through appropriate counselling, referrals and longer-term support.
*Names have been changed to protect the returnees’ identities.