Since April 2021, the reintegration project "Bridge Component Albania", financed by the federal and state governments, has been supporting returnees immediately after their arrival in Albania, offering personal support and a wide range of assistance during the often uncertain initial phase.
Please note that the benefits of the bridging component are no longer available to long-term tolerated returnees to Albania as of May 1, 2023 (date of departure). Instead, this group of people can claim reintegration support benefits under the EURP program. This also includes short-term support in the first three days after arrival ("Post Arrival Package"). In order to take advantage of the Post Arrival Package in particular, it is strongly recommended that you submit your EURP application in good time via the nearest return counseling center before you leave the country._
The project starts in the often very challenging initial phase immediately after arriving in Albania. It helps returnees to settle in more easily and develop an individual perspective for a new start. To this end, the bridging component offers personal and confidential support as well as various advisory services and benefits in kind.
Support services Support is based on the individual needs of those returning and may include the following services:
As regards employment support and medium-term reintegration measures, the bridge component scheme cooperates closely with the GIZ advisory centre DIMAK based in Albania, which also receives assistance from the German government.
Eligibility criteria
Reintegration support under EURP has been available for people with long-term toleration (at least 2 years) since January 1, 2023. They are therefore excluded from funding under the Albania bridging component from May 1, 2023 (cut-off date: departure).
Otherwise, the bridge component is open to all persons (without long-term toleration) who have voluntarily or forcibly returned to Albania from Germany and offers them free counseling.
Further support services of the kind listed above can only be accessed by people returning from the following federal states participating in the project: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia.
The following criteria also apply to financial support:
It is advisable to register before leaving the country in the interests of optimum preparation for your return.
Please note that Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia only support people who have returned voluntarily.
Procedure and registration The advantage of advance registration is that it signals a voluntary return without obligation in the bridge component scheme, helping to accelerate the processes in the project and to facilitate a support package which will cater to the precise needs of the person returning.
The registration form (see download section) is submitted through a local authority, a regional government authority or a return counselling centre. In order to avoid further queries and to cut the processing time, the application form should be filled out completely and signed by the person interested in returning. The registration form should then be scanned and sent to the following BAMF mailbox: Brueckenkomponente@bamf.bund.de
Please note that registration does not lead to an automatic entitlement to the granting of benefits in the bridge component scheme. Only in the light of a counselling session at local level in the bridge component scheme will a decision be made on eligibility for funding and on the type and scope of any funding.
The social welfare counsellors will identify the individual needs of those returning in the course of a personal counselling session at local level and will liaise with them to work out a road map for reintegration in Albania which is tailored to their specific needs. The reintegration plan can include various counselling and support services although the amount of funding will be capped as follows:
Contact: Brückenkomponente Albanien (URA Albania) Rr. Asim Zeneli, Nd. 6/10 Tirana Albania
Counselling hours: Monday till Thursday, 10.00 a.m. - 03.00 p.m.
The project is funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and currently eleven federal states and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to support the sustainable reintegration of returnees on the ground.