Since the beginning of 2026, several developments have taken place to further strengthen the Reintegration Assistance Tool (RIAT), which supports cooperation between European authorities and reintegration partners in the management of return and reintegration assistance cases.
Recent platform updates have introduced several improvements aimed at facilitating day-to-day case management. These include new functionalities allowing users to assign cases directly through the dashboard, as well as adjustments to the management of urgent actions in order to support more efficient handling of time-sensitive requests.
Alongside technical improvements, efforts are continuing to support the growing RIAT user community. Planned activities include regular webinars and exchanges with Member States and reintegration partners to provide updates on new functionalities and address operational questions.
Work is also underway on the development of a new Data Collection Framework, which will define the revised set of questions and data fields to be completed during case processing. The framework aims to improve the consistency and comparability of data collected through RIAT and support monitoring of reintegration assistance programmes.
Operationally, RIAT’s geographical coverage has expanded further with the launch of a national project by Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, implemented with reintegration partners in multiple and new countries of origin such as Botswana, Chile, South Africa and Zimbabwe – with the possibility to extend to additional countries on an ad hoc basis, ensuring flexibility to respond to evolving operational needs.
Engagement with partner countries also continues through capacity-building activities. A recent workshop in Belgrade, Serbia, introduced RIAT to representatives of the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration. The session highlighted how the platform supports AVR and reintegration by facilitating information exchange, strengthening coordination between actors and supporting return counselling. Discussions also explored how solutions developed within RIAT could contribute to improving data management in R&R processes in Serbia.