Migration is usually conceived as a process that involves assuming various losses and that requires adapting to a new context. Among the expectations when leaving for our destination are the challenges that it is assumed will be necessary to overcome.
The return to the place of origin, which is sometimes part of the migratory cycle, usually catches us more off guard, since when considering that one returns to a point where one has already been, a significant adaptation process is not considered necessary. This presumption does not take into account that the place of origin, its people and, above all, the migrant himself, have undergone profound transformations during the trip. The changing conditions of return then allow us to consider return as a second migration.
The emotional implications of return migration can sometimes be even more impactful than those of the first migration.
The feeling of strangeness and incompetence with respect to the place we considered our own can be a source of great confusion and uncertainty. The psychological effects of return migration have been conceptualized under the name reverse culture shock.
Economic crisis and emigration
Reflection and research on the issue of return has intensified in recent times due to the migratory dynamics that have emerged or increased as a consequence of the global economic crisis of 2007. The deterioration of the economy and the consequent increase in unemployment in receiving countries migration has had a much greater impact on the migrant population, which also does not have the resource of family support to which local people have access
The crisis has also resulted in an increase in social hostility towards this population, which is used as a scapegoat for many of the system’s ills. At the same time, there is sometimes a perception that the conditions of the context of origin may have improved, becoming factors that influence many more migrants making the decision to return to the country of their roots.
Return statistics
Statistically, The return occurs in greater proportions in men and in people with low qualifications Women and qualified professionals tend to settle better in the destination. It is also observed that the shorter the distance traveled in migration, the greater the probability of returning.
Among the motivations for return, those related to the economic sphere stand out, such as unemployment or job insecurity in the destination; family motivations consisting, for example, of parents who have grown older and need attention or the desire to provide children who are entering adolescence with a more controlled environment or in accordance with the values of the context of origin. Difficulties in adaptation to the destination environment and discrimination may also be reasons for return.
Research highlights that the longer the stay and the greater the cultural differentiation in the destination, the adaptation difficulties increase in return migration It is highlighted that the circumstances and expectations that surrounded our migration, in addition to the particularities of the experience during the stay, substantially influence the way in which the return or returns to the place of origin are experienced.
Different ways to leave and return
There are different ways to experience return. Here are some of them.
The desired return
For many people, migration is seen as a means to achieve more or less specific objectives, which imply a duration of time that is sometimes determined and sometimes indefinite. We start with the expectation and desire that once these objectives are achieved, we will return to the place of origin to enjoy the achievements obtained during the trip.
The objectives can be varied: carry out an academic specialization, a temporary job of a certain duration, save money to provide sufficient capital to carry out a venture or buy a home. Sometimes migration is motivated by negative aspects in the place of origin, such as job insecurity or insecurity, and temporary migration is then considered while these conditions are modified or improved. Migration can also be seen as a respite to accumulate experiences and experiences for a defined period of time.
In those cases in which the idea of return is very present from the beginning, there is usually a strong appreciation and identification with the customs and traditions of the country of origin. These traditions seek to be recreated in the host country and it is common for social ties with expatriated compatriots to be prioritized. Parallel to the above, there may be resistance to full integration or assimilation with the destination culture It is also common for people who have a firm desire to return to have a high value on family and social ties in the country of origin, which they try to continue maintaining and nurturing despite the distance.
Return, in many cases, is then the logical consequence of the migration project: the planned academic or work periods are met, and the proposed economic or experiential objectives are assessed as having been met to a certain degree. In these cases, the decision to return is usually experienced with a high degree of autonomy and not so much as the passive consequence of external circumstances. There is usually a preparation time, which allows you to adjust expectations to what you may find on your return. The achievements of the trip are also recognized, as well as the benefits they can bring to the new life in the country of origin.
The support that can be obtained from the social and family networks that have continued to be maintained during the trip is also valued. All these aspects have a positive impact on adaptation upon return but do not exempt difficulties from arising, since although it is possible to return to the physical place, it is impossible to return to the imagined place to which one believed one belonged.
The mythical return
Sometimes initial expectations and objectives are transformed ; It may not be perceived that the proposed objectives have been met or that the hostile conditions that motivated migration have not improved. Perhaps also, with the passage of time, strong roots have been built in the country of destination and those in the country of origin have weakened. The intention to return can then be postponed for years, decades and even generations, sometimes becoming more than a concrete intention, but a myth of longing.
If it is perceived that the objectives have not been achieved and one has to return earlier than planned, the return may be experienced as a failure. Adaptation involves confronting a feeling of discontent, as if something had been left undone. The immigrant can go from being a “hero” for the family and the social environment, to becoming another burden for family survival.
The unexpected return
There are people who, since their departure, consider migration as the beginning of a new life in a context of greater well-being, so in principle return is not among their plans. Others arrive with an open attitude waiting to see how the circumstances unfold and decide after a while to put down roots in their destiny. Others, although they arrive with the idea of returning, are presented with opportunities or discover aspects that lead them to change their minds over time. There are also migrants who remain indefinitely with the possibilities open without radically ruling out any option.
One of the fundamental aspects that leads people to choose to remain indefinitely in their destination is the perception that their quality of life is higher than what they could have in their country of origin Quality of life that is described by some migrants as better economic conditions, a feeling of security in the streets, better health services, education or transportation, infrastructure, lower levels of corruption and disorganization. Also aspects related to mentality, such as the case of women who find themselves with quotas of emancipation and equality that they did not enjoy in their places of origin. For others, the need to live abroad responds to internal aspects, such as the possibility of satisfying their desire for adventure and new experiences. Some migrants say that living abroad allows them to express themselves more genuinely away from an environment that they considered limiting.
In cases where return is no longer seen as an attractive option, there is usually an interest in integrating into the destination culture. This interest does not necessarily imply a distancing or rejection of one’s own culture, nor the family or social ties of the country of origin. A transnational dynamic is then generated, in which one lives between the two cultures through periodic trips and permanent communication. This transnational dynamic is currently facilitated by the cheaper air travel and the communication possibilities offered by new technologies. On some occasions, transnational dynamics cause the passion for national identity to decrease, acquiring a more evidently hybrid and cosmopolitan character.
Viewing the place of origin with bad eyes
When there is a high valuation of various aspects that have been experienced in the destination place and people are forced to return to their countries of origin, usually for family or economic reasons, the adaptation upon return becomes more complex, requiring habituation to a standard of living that is perceived as lower in some areas. The above can give rise to hypersensitivity and overvaluation of aspects that are considered negative in the place of origin. Everything can then be experienced as more precarious, disorganized and insecure than what other people who are not going through this adaptation experience perceive.
This hypersensitivity can generate tensions with family and friends who perceive the returnee with attitudes of unjustified contempt. Returning sometimes also means that the person has to confront questions about their lifestyle. that is not in accordance with the predominant schemes in its place of origin.
It is common then for a feeling of strangeness to emerge and the recognition of the distance that has been established with the environment of origin. This feeling leads many returnees to experience their stay in the country of origin as a transition while the conditions are met to return to the country of their first migration or a new migration to a third country is undertaken.
The feeling of being neither from here nor from there can be experienced with nostalgia by some migrants due to the fact of losing a national reference of identification, but it can also be experienced as a liberation from schemes that constrict. In some, the syndrome of the eternal traveler is generated, constantly seeking to satisfy their need for new experiences and curiosity in different places.
The forced return
The most adverse conditions for return obviously arise when the person wants to remain in the destination and external conditions force him or her to return without any alternative. This is the case of prolonged unemployment, an illness of oneself or a family member, expiration of legal residence or even deportation. In cases where economic has been the triggering factor, they return when all survival strategies have been exhausted.
For some people, migration has been a way to put distance from family or social situations that are burdensome or conflictive. The return therefore involves them abandoning a context that seemed more satisfactory to them and the reunion with situations and conflicts from which they sought to distance themselves.
In cases in which migration has meant leaving behind a past that one wants to overcome, there is usually a high motivation to fully integrate into the dynamics of the destination context, sometimes even trying to avoid people from their own country.
In some cases, upon returning, there has been not only a distancing from family ties but also from friends from the place of origin, in such a way that they cannot function as support or resource for adaptation. The return is then experienced almost as an exile that involves confronting many aspects that one hoped to have been able to leave behind. Research highlights that adaptation to these types of return is usually the most difficult, with the desire to start a new migration also appearing, but sometimes with vague and poorly developed plans.
Reverse culture shock
People who return arrive to the country of their roots with the feeling of having more or less fulfilled their purposes, in other cases with feelings of frustration or sense of defeat but always with the pressing need to give course to their lives under the existing conditions.
Reverse culture shock refers to this process of readjustment, resocialization, and reassimilation within one’s own culture after having lived in a different culture for a significant period of time. This concept has been developed by researchers since the mid-20th century, initially based on the difficulties of adapting to the return of exchange students.
Stages of Reverse Culture Shock
Some researchers believe that reverse culture shock begins when planning to return home It is observed that some people perform some rituals with the intention of saying goodbye to their destination and begin to take actions to go to their place of origin.
The second stage is called the honeymoon. It is characterized by the emotion of reunion with family, friends and spaces that were longed for. The returnee feels the satisfaction of being welcomed and recognized upon his return.
The third stage is the culture shock itself and emerges when the need arises to establish a daily life once the excitement of reunions has passed. It is the moment when you are aware that your own identity has been transformed and that the longed-for place and the people are not as you imagined. The prominence of the first days or weeks is lost and people are no longer interested in listening to the stories of our trip. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Doubts, disappointments and regrets then emerge. Returnees may also feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities and choices they face. Sometimes the anxieties that this generates can manifest themselves in irritability, insomnia, fears, phobias and psychosomatic disorders.
The final stage is adjustment and integration In this stage, the returnee mobilizes his adaptation resources to adapt to the new circumstances and the constant longing for the country that welcomed him fades. The ability to focus on the present and work to achieve your vital projects is then strengthened.
The ideal is that when the returnee returns to his country he is aware of the enrichment that the trip and the experiences he has had in the host country have provided him. Likewise, develop the capacity so that these experiences become resources for your new endeavors. It is proposed that the stages are not strictly linear, but rather that one goes through emotional ups and downs until little by little a certain stability is achieved.
