TRAJECTORIES OF REINTEGRATION. THE IMPACTS OF DISPLACEMENT, MIGRATION AND RETURN ON SOCIAL CHANGE

This year saw the end of bicc’s four-year project, which involved over 14 months of field research on the reintegration trajectories of returnees in the Middle East, the Western Balkans and West Africa.

Our study examined individual factors (e.g. education, social status, age, gender, resources, networks) and framework conditions (e.g. conflict phase, reconstruction phase, outlook) that influence the reintegration experience. Among other things, our findings indicate that the reintegration process of returnees is linked to their access to livelihoods. This access often requires mobility and translocal connections. Returnees often have to remigrate due to the lack of conducive and adequate overall conditions for reintegration, which fail to meet their needs and aspirations.

This finding is at odds with the type of assistance provided to returnees through formal return and reintegration assistance programmes. It was, therefore, important to dissiminate and transfer the findings of our project to donors and policymakers. Our research findings are summarised in four bicc Working Papers, a Synthesis Note, a Synthesis Report, four bicc Policy Briefs and eight journal articles and book chapters.