The virtual meeting was co-chaired by Sri Lanka and Australia and attended by officials responsible for returns and reintegration from Bali Process member countries, as well as experts from international organizations.

The Co-Chairs reviewed progress made in returns and reintegration across the Bali Process since the third meeting of the TEGRR in February 2020 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Areas of focus for the meeting included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on returns and reintegration, improvements in the monitoring and evaluation of returns data, cooperation on identity and the treatment of returnee debt, and developments in national returns and reintegration policies across Bali Process Members.

The RSO, in its update to the working group, highlighted publications available to TEGRR members in improving returns and reintegration, including The Bali Process Policy Guide on Returns and Reintegration. The RSO reiterated its support for other Bali Process projects, including the longstanding Bali Process Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration (AVRR) program and recent work conducted alongside IOM to research and analyse sustainable returns practices. The AVRR program has now supported more than 1,400 returns across the Bali Process region since its inception, including more than 120 so far in 2021.

The Outcome Statement from the Co-Chairs can be viewed from the link below.

The Bali Process Technical Experts Working Group on Irregular Movements