Migration Interrupted – on the Role of Return Preparedness for Post Return Outcomes

Andrea Monti , Stockholm University
Inma Serrano, Juan March Institute

This paper examines the economic conditions of return migrants after their return to their origin country, and how these relate to the conditions pertaining return. As an increasing phenomenon international return migration has drawn the attention of political actors, though with shifted political connotations. Once broadly considered an important contribution to developmental change, return migration is increasingly viewed as a migration management tool, a solution to unwanted immigration. Meanwhile, few studies have engaged in the question of what conditions return migrants face after return, and even less is known about the role of the circumstances of the return itself. The aim of this paper is to advance our knowledge of the conditions surrounding return migration and how these relate to post-return outcomes. Following the theoretical notion of ‘return preparedness’ we examine aspects of will, time and resources upon return. We assess how previous migration experiences and individual characteristics are related to different levels of return preparedness and how these relate to economic conditions post return. Additionally, we ask whether a return migrant returning with low levels of preparedness still experience better conditions post return than a non-migrant. The data used is survey-data constructed of more than 2000 face-to-face interviews with Senegalese, Argentinian and Romanian returnee migrants, all returning from Spain, and their non-migrant counterparts. Preliminary results show return preparedness as an overall important aspect, even when other factors are controlled for. Significant differences are found between Romanian and Senegalese non-migrants and migrants returning with higher levels of preparedness.

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 Presented in Session 63. International Migration