Weldemariam Lemlem F, Ayanlade Ayansina, Borderon Marion, Möslinger Karoline
Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7/5, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
Heliyon. 2023 Jul 28;9(8):e18791. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18791. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Return migration, the process of migrants returning to their countries of origin, is a vital aspect of migration that has received growing attention in recent years. One area of focus in the study of return migration is understanding the motivations that drive migrants to return home. Conducting a regional literature review on the dynamics and factors influencing return migration can provide valuable insights into this complex and dynamic phenomenon. It can inform policy development, help to address economic and social issues and contribute to our understanding of migration patterns and trends in the region.
This study, therefore, aims to understand the dynamics and factors that influence return migration to Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that has experienced significant outflows of migration over the past few decades. This study provides an understanding of the drivers of and barriers to return migration and how far they resonate with factors of mobility and immobility.
A two-decade systematic literature review was conducted to determine the driving factors and barriers that influence return migration to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Multivariate factors of return migration were examined based on the central question: why do migrants return to their homeland? The multiple-step systematic literature search covers a broad range of factors of return migration to sub-Saharan Africa.
The findings indicate complex scenarios influencing decisions to return to the region, with the interplay of driving factors as well as barriers to return. Social, personal, economic, and policy factors were among the major drivers of return migration, but social and personal drivers were found to be the major motivating factors of decisions to return to SSA, compared to policy and economic issues. The observed drivers and barriers to returning migration in SSA were categorized and discussed under thematic sections considering structural, individual and policy issues.
The study concludes that migrants' decisions to return could be determined by numerous structural factors, such as economic, political, social and environmental circumstances, both at the place of origin and at the destination. Therefore, the review could be a useful contribution to future research, governments, mobility-oriented organizations and policymakers for effective return-migration strategies.
返乡迁移，即移民返回其原籍国的过程，是移民活动的一个重要方面，近年来受到了越来越多的关注。返乡迁移研究的一个重点领域是理解促使移民回国的动机。对影响返乡迁移的动态和因素进行区域文献综述，可以为这一复杂多变的现象提供有价值的见解。它可以为政策制定提供参考，有助于解决经济和社会问题，并有助于我们理解该地区的移民模式和趋势。
因此，本研究旨在了解影响向撒哈拉以南非洲地区返乡迁移的动态和因素，该地区在过去几十年经历了大量的移民外流。本研究旨在了解返乡迁移的驱动因素和障碍，以及它们在多大程度上与流动和不流动因素相呼应。
进行了一项为期二十年的系统文献综述，以确定影响向撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）返乡迁移的驱动因素和障碍。基于核心问题“移民为何回国？”，对返乡迁移的多变量因素进行了研究。多步骤系统文献检索涵盖了影响向撒哈拉以南非洲地区返乡迁移的广泛因素。
研究结果表明，影响返回该地区决策的情况复杂，存在驱动因素与返乡障碍之间的相互作用。社会、个人、经济和政策因素是返乡迁移的主要驱动因素，但与政策和经济问题相比，社会和个人驱动因素被发现是决定返回撒哈拉以南非洲地区的主要动机因素。在考虑结构、个人和政策问题的主题部分下，对撒哈拉以南非洲地区观察到的返乡迁移驱动因素和障碍进行了分类和讨论。
该研究得出结论，移民的返乡决策可能由众多结构因素决定，如原籍地和目的地的经济、政治、社会和环境状况。因此，该综述可为未来研究、政府、以流动为导向的组织和政策制定者制定有效的返乡迁移策略提供有益的参考。
