Trajectories of reintegration. The impacts of displacement, migration and return on social change

Status

closed

Topics

  • Migration and Forced Displacement

 
Over the course of four years (2019–2023), the qualitative and multi-sited research project “Trajectories of reintegration. The impacts of displacement, migration and return on social change” conducted a long-term investigation of the reintegration trajectories of returning migrants and (internally) displaced persons.The study investigated the living conditions of returnees and asked for their perceptions, experiences and strategies against the background of the socio-political context in countries of origin, transit and destination as well as different framework conditions in the context of reintegration. In addition, it took into consideration returnees with diverse demographic characteristics (e.g. level of education, socio-cultural background, age and gender, resources, networks of returnees and duration of stay in the receiving countries). By taking into account both unassisted (self-organised) and assisted returns and analysing reintegration trajectories over longer periods of time, the project responded to a scarcity of comparative studies in this regard and aimed to contribute to evidence-based insights for development cooperation initiatives in the field of migration and reintegration.

The following three research questions guided the study:
a) How do social and biographical factors influence the reintegration of returnees?
b) How do the type and duration of assistance influence the reintegration trajectories considering the varied characteristics of individuals?
c) Which livelihood strategies do returnees apply, and how can they be assessed and supported in the long term?
The multi-sited study was based on in-depth empirical research in the three following research regions:
 / Western Balkans (Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
   Kosovo),
 / West Africa (Ghana, Senegal, the Gambia), and
 / the Middle East (Iraq).

The project followed a qualitative, dialogue-oriented and participative research approach: During several months of field research, the research team collected primary data through in-depth qualitative interviews, life stories, informal conversations and observations. The sample of 725 interview participants included returnees who had been displaced (refugees, rejected asylum-seekers), who had been long-term labour migrants, ‘irregular’ migrants, student migrants and circular or seasonal migrants. In addition, the research team conducted 213 semi-structured expert interviews with stakeholders, including government officials, municipal actors and representatives of local NGOs, scholars, service providers and development agencies.The project team cooperated closely with local research partners who contributed to the data collection, integrating their feedback into the analysis. Capacity exchange also included training courses for student assistants participating in the research. Moreover, several stakeholder workshops in the countries of research and different consultation formats in Germany ensured extensive and continuous exchange between academia, decision-makers and implementing organisations of reintegration assistance.

 

The project's research findings illustrate that:


 / reintegration processes—understood as the processes that unfold after return to a country of origin or place of previous residence as returnees attempt to re-establish their lives—often relate to returnees’ access to livelihood options, their long-term aspirations and life plans, their sense of belonging to a place and community of return, as well as the political context and governance structures in the origin country;
 / formal return and reintegration assistance schemes have only short-term and partial impacts on reintegration processes by, for instance, easing access to accommodation, offering in-kind or cash assistance and providing legal aid in the first few years of returns, but it is return preparedness—the returnee’s willingness and readiness to return—along with the support of social networks and favourable institutional context conditions that proves to be more impactful on reintegration than the formal assistance given by organisations;
 / returnees see mobility and translocal connectedness as essential livelihood options and part of their reintegration experiences. Thus, returns are likely to be followed by remigration, including circular movements or pendular migration. Remigration and circular migration should therefore be considered a component of reintegration.Research results of the empirical country case studies and context-specific policy recommendations have been widely published, e.g. in BICC Working Papers, academic publications and Policy Briefs, as well as background papers directly informing policymakers. A Synthesis Report highlights and brings together selected findings of the empirical studies.

 

 

 

 

Project Leader

Project Team

Funder

  • German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Duration of project

2019-2023

Publications

Other publications

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Role of Return Preparedness, Assistance and Networks in Returnees’ Reintegration in Origin Countries (Synthesis Report)

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open
Other publications

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Mielke, K., & Schmitz-Pranghe, C., & Vollmer, R.

When Returning Home Feels Like Hell

IPS Journal (2023)

Open
Other publications

Mielke, K., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Schmitz-Pranghe, C., & Vollmer, R.

Zurück zu Hause oder zurück "in der Hölle"?

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2023)

Open
Journal Article

Fakhoury, T., & Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System

(2023)

Open
bicc Working paper

Vollmer, R.

Reintegration Trajectories in Contexts of High Mobility. Insights from Albania and Kosovo

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open
bicc Working paper

Mielke, K.

Finding One's Place in Chaos. Returnees' Reintegration Experiences in Northern Iraq

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open
bicc Working paper

Schmitz-Pranghe, C.

The Role of Mobility, Networks and Reintegration Assistance after Return. Insights from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

BICC , Bonn (2023)

Open
bicc Working paper

Rudolf, M.

Talking at Cross-Purposes? On Ambigous Relationships between International Policies on Return and Reintegration and their local Conceptualisations in Ghana, the Gambia and Senegal

BICC , Bonn (2022)

Open
bicc Policy brief

Schmitz-Pranghe, C., & Oruč, N., & Mielke, K., & Ibričević, A.

Making sure that the emigration of health-care personnel from Albania and BiH works for all: What Germany can do

BICC , Bonn (2020)

Open
bicc Policy brief

Grawert, E., & Mielke, K., & Pleisnitzer, S., & Markiewicz, S., & Rifat, A., & Abdou, A.

Reintegration in northern Iraq: The time is now for Europe to act

BICC , Bonn (2020)

Open
bicc Policy brief

Rudolf, M., & Serra Mingot, E.

Making it work. AVRR programmes and Ghanaian returnees

BICC , Bonn (2020)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z., & Tsourapas, G.

When Do States Repatriate Refugees? Evidence from the Middle East

(2022)

Open
Journal Article

Serra Mingot, E., & Rudolf, M.

On the Same Wavelength? Differing Geopolitical Positionalities and Voluntary Return and Reintegration in Ghana

(2022)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Geopolitics of Returns: Geopolitical Reasoning and Space-Making in Turkey’s Repatriation Regime

(2022)

Open
Journal Article

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

The Institutionalization of “Voluntary” Returns in Turkey

(2022)

Open
Book chapter

Şahin-Mencütek, Z.

Voluntary and Forced Return Migration Under a Pandemic Crisis

Springer , Cham (2022)

Open