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Comparative Migration Studies

, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp 335–360 | Cite as

Understanding Different Post-Return Experiences

The Role of Preparedness, Return Motives and Family Expectations for Returned Migrants in Morocco
  • Masja van Meeteren
  • Godfried Engbersen
  • Erik Snel
  • Marije FaberEmail author
Open Access
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Studies aimed at understanding different post-return experiences point at various factors that are involved. In this article, we show the importance of striving for a contextualized understanding of post-return experiences as different factors appear to be important in different cases. Our study sets out to seek the value of the theory of preparedness proposed by Cassarino and simultaneously contribute to further contextualization of this theory through a qualitative study conducted in Morocco. Drawing on 44 qualitative interviews with a diverse set of returned migrants we scrutinize how mechanisms related to intersections between factors commonly found to be important in the literature take shape to make different factors important in different cases. For example, we show how the ability to keep transnational contacts with the destination country after return adds to positive post-return experiences, but only for migrants with specific return motives. In doing so, this article contributes to theory specification and contextualization.

Keywords

return migration Morocco transnationalism return motivations preparedness transnational obligations post-return experiences immigration family expectations the Netherlands 
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Copyright information

© The Author(s) 2014

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Masja van Meeteren
    • 1
  • Godfried Engbersen
    • 2
  • Erik Snel
    • 3
  • Marije Faber
    • 4
    Email author
  1. 1.Department of CriminologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
  2. 2.Erasmus University of RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
  3. 3.Department of SociologyErasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)RotterdamThe Netherlands
  4. 4.Rad-boud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands

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