The framing of return from above and below in Ecuadorian migration

A Project, a Myth, or a Political Device

Bibliographic Data

ID4262871
AuthorsP Boccagni (0000-0001-8379-8561, University of Trento, corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume11
Issue4
Pages461-480
Publication date2011-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Networks (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1470-2266 • E-ISSN: 1471-0374
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1471-0374.2011.00323.x
OpenAlexW2013487715
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited19

Although return migration is a significant topic in current policy, the competing interests of sending and destination countries in promoting it and the prospects of making return strategies 'from above' a viable and desirable option for migrants are relatively neglected topics. In this article, I explore the distinct agendas, meanings and expectations underlying the prospects of return migration from Ecuador to Italy. I approach this recent migration flow through ethnography and an institutional analysis of the policy strategies and discourses emerging in the source country. The Ecuadorian government has recently developed a Plan Retorno aimed at facilitating emigrants' return and economic reintegration. The narratives of Ecuadorian migrants generally reveal a deep-rooted expectation to return home. While initially hoping to return home 'soon', however, migrants systematically tend to postpone their homecoming. When it does take place in the short term, it is likely to be through migration 'failure' rather than an actual accomplishment of their earlier objectives. Given the distinct interests and expectations driving them, it is possible to assess the relationship between the two approaches to return. I conclude that return migration, irrespective of its actual accomplishment, is relevant to a better understanding of emigrant policies and of immigrant life trajectories overseas

Development economics · Economics · Emigration · Geography · Homecoming · Immigration · Mythology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Rate of return · Sociology · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · History · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Finance

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