On February 1, 2023, Delmi launched the project Return as International Migration Policy: Coordination within and across National Borders. This report is the second sub-study within the project, focusing on the role, function, and cooperation of Swedish and foreign authorities in the return process. The report is based on 35 semi-structured interviews with individuals from the five Nordic countries. The interviewees were selected based on their experience with Nordic cooperation on return and readmission, either at a political or operational level. The interviews included both state actors (e.g., ministries, migration authorities, and police agencies) and non-state actors (NGOs).

The study shows that the cooperation mainly occurs at the operational level through flexible and decentralized authority networks, but that a lack of transparency and accountability poses challenges. Key initiatives include the NSHF working group on return and a new working group for Nordic charter flights. The report emphasizes the need for a clearer common political goal to ensure long-term sustainability and suggests a broader inclusion of stakeholders, such as NGOs, as well as standardizing processes. Nordic initiatives in third countries, such as NORAQ in Iraq, are highlighted as successful examples of cooperation. The study concludes with policy recommendations aimed at strengthening and further developing the collaboration.

Some overall conclusions and recommendations

  • Establish a Common Political Goal – A clear, shared objective should be set at the political level, grounded in a unified normative framework that defines principles, values, and standards for Nordic cooperation. This would provide long-term stability and continuity, regardless of changes in national political directions.
  • Clarify and Operationalize Key Concepts – Terms such as "effective," "sustainable," and "humane" should be clearly defined in political guidelines and strategies to ensure they have practical significance and are not merely political slogans.
  • Broaden Participation in Networks – Currently, cooperation is predominantly driven by civil servants. To enhance transparency and legitimacy, more relevant actors, such as government agencies and civil society organizations (e.g., NGOs), should be included in discussions and decision-making processes.
  • Map Operational Cooperation Needs – A review should be conducted to identify areas where cooperation can be streamlined, such as through improved access to embassies in Nordic neighboring countries and a shared database of return liaison officers (RLOs).
  • Introduce Independent Monitoring of Return Operations – To ensure transparency and accountability, relevant Nordic NGOs should be given the opportunity to act as an independent observation committee during joint Nordic return operations.

About the authors

The report was authored by Anna Hammarstedt,  PhD in International Relations and research coordinator at Delmi, and Iris Luthman, MSc in Political Science and research coordinator at Delmi.

The Report and Policy Brief were published 6 March 2025.

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