In the early hours of 25 July Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published the long-awaited 2026 call for proposals supporting Voluntary Return programmes for third-country nationals. The notice, released via the ministry’s electronic headquarters, invites NGOs and international organisations to bid for up to €5 million (90 % co-financed by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) to run counselling, one-way travel and reintegration grants for migrants wishing to go back to their countries of origin. Eligible projects must cover pre-departure advisory services, ticketing, medical clearances and cash stipends delivered through partner agencies abroad. Priority will be given to proposals that integrate digital case-management tools compatible with the ministry’s MERCURIO platform and that target vulnerable profiles such as victims of human trafficking or failed asylum seekers. Successful bidders will sign agreements by mid-September and must complete activities by 31 December 2027. Although Voluntary Return is small compared with Spain’s overall migration flows—1,742 departures were facilitated in 2025—the programme is a critical “safety valve,” according to officials, as the extraordinary regularisation has swelled the caseload of migrants unable or unwilling to remain in Spain once their files are resolved. NGOs like ACCEM and Cruz Roja say demand is rising amid Madrid’s high housing costs and tight labour market. For mobility professionals the announcement matters because it creates a partially subsidised pathway for companies winding down expatriate assignments of third-country nationals whose residence rights are expiring. Employers who co-finance tickets have historically been able to offset costs against corporate-social-responsibility budgets and, in some cases, corporate-tax liabilities. Applications must be lodged electronically within 15 business days of the BOE extract (expected next week). HR teams with potential candidates should liaise quickly with preferred NGOs to ensure that individual cases are captured within funding proposals, as late inclusion is rarely permitted once budgets are allocated.
