About us
Did you come to Germany to seek asylum and would now like to receive some information about voluntary return to your country of origin? Do you know someone who is interested in voluntary return, has officially been ordered to leave Germany or might face deportation? Feel free to contact us! We can make an appointment to analyse your situation and discuss the available courses of action with you.
Our counselling office is also a point of contact for institutions (e.g. district administrations) and organisations (e.g. volunteer groups supporting refugees) working in fields where they need information about the subject of Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR). Therefore, we also offer informational events about the work we do as return counsellors, as well as voluntary return in general.
ZRB Südbayern in Augsburg has gathered many years of experience in return counselling since opening in 2004. In 2014 we opened an additional counselling office in Deggendorf, in 2014 in Mühldorf am Inn and in 2017 in Kempten. Currently, five welfare organisations are involved in the joint project "Zentrale Rückkehrberatung Südbayern”: the Caritas Association of the Diocese Augsburg, the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese Munich and Freising, the Caritas Association of the district of Deggendorf, Diakonisches Werk Augsburg, and Diakonisches Werk Kempten/Johannisverein, with the Caritas Association of the Diocese Augsburg supervising the project.
The counselling office is funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund, by the Bavarian State Office for Asylum and Return (LfAR), as well as the welfare organisations involved.
The guiding principles for our work are the same at all four locations: We offer open, unbiased counselling and advocate a return with dignity. Upon request, our clients may remain anonymous during initial counselling sessions.
* third-country nationals = non-EU citizens
** or a different third country willing to receive the person