Publications

This report presents an indicator proposal to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of return governance by systematically linking policy design, implementation practices, and observable outcomes. Building on the policy effectiveness framework developed by Czaika and de Haas (2013) and insights from GAPs’ research addressing return policy frameworks (WP2), return infrastructure (WP3) and return cooperation (WP4), the proposal combines instrumental dimensions (such as legal clarity, institutional capacity, coordination, costs, and implementation performance) with normative dimensions (human rights, protection guarantees, and reintegration sustainability).

The indicator proposal is structured around three interconnected stages: policies on paper, policy implementation, and outcomes. For Stage 1 (policy on paper), it identifies dimensions and relevant indicators that capture the presence, clarity, and coherence of legal bases and safeguards; the configuration of institutional and administrative design (roles, coordination mechanisms, resources, stakeholder involvement, and data infrastructures); and the formal architecture of international cooperation, including intra-EU coherence, EU-level agreements, bilateral and informal arrangements, and alignment with non-migration policies.

Find the full publication here.