At the Sixth Bali Process Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia on 23 March 2016, Ministers recognised that timely, safe and dignified returns of persons found not to be owed international protection is an important element of orderly migration. Building on outcomes from the Roundtable on Returns and Reintegration, in Manila, Philippines in December 2015, Ministers agreed to the establishment of a Technical Experts Group to exchange best practices with respect to returns and reintegration.

The Technical Experts Group on Returns and Reintegration supports Bali Process members to share information on returns and reintegration, including key policy initiatives, trends and issues, and to identify opportunities for cooperation and capacity building.

The Technical Experts Group on Returns and Reintegration is co-chaired by Australia and the Philippines and reports annually to the Bali Process Ad Hoc Group. It brings together a network of experts from the sixteen states and three international organisations that form the Ad Hoc Group membership.

Priorities outlined in the Technical Experts Group on Returns and Reintegration’s latest meeting in March 2024 include:

• Increase information and knowledge sharing at technical and practitioner levels Incorporate initiatives that maximise and streamline governments’ resources to address increasing pressure on programs.
• Develop a holistic approach that considers all phases of the migration cycle.