The CADRE project, implemented by ICMPD within the framework of the European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN programme), organised its 3rd “Train-the-Trainers” session for return counsellors in Austria. The face-to-face training took place on 29-31 March, 2022
The EU Return Directive 2008/115/EC encourages Member States to enhance the counselling activities and boost the quality of pre-departure assistance to promote the process of voluntary return, as the preferred option over forced return. Proper training is one of the key elements to prepare return counsellors for their job and enable them to assist people on the move in the best way possible.
With this in mind, the CADRE “Train-the-Trainers” (TtT) session aimed at equipping return counsellors with effective training skills, so that they can multiply the counselling knowledge and build capacities at their national level, passing on the knowledge to their colleagues.
The session brought together return counsellors from different ERRIN Member Countries – Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and The Netherlands. This time it also hosted reintegration counsellors from the Ghana Immigration Service and a representative from the Frontex Training Unit.
The participants got acquainted with the main training methods and tools, and learned about facing the challenges in training. The groups also had a chance to simulate themselves return counselling training sessions and get and provide immediate peer feedback. As a next step CADRE will organise a training on return counselling incorporating also a new training module on return counselling of Victims of Trafficking (VoT). The training will be delivered in early May in Brussels together by the project team, trainers that have been trained during the CADRE TtT sessions and experts on VoT and.
These training activities feed into a broader objective of the project, which strives to improve the quality of return counselling in Europe.