A regretful journey home: Albanian return migration in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008

ELIDA CENA*, Derek Heim

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (journal)peer-review

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Abstract

Despite occurring almost a decade ago, the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis continue to influence the lives of many people today. Intra-European migration literature, for example, suggests that migration patterns were reshaped in its aftermath and emerging literature details mobilities and experiences of migrants in destination societies post-crisis. To date, less research documents the experiences of individuals who, in the wake of the crisis, were forced to abandon their migratory endeavours and had to navigate returning to their country of origin in a particularly challenging socioeconomic context. Utilising in-depth interviews and family case studies with purposively recruited Albanian return migrants who had lived in Greece and Italy pre-crisis, the current study highlights how conditions in both destination and origin countries impacted return experiences. Findings illustrate an adverse interplay of circumstances that led to the unsettled return and portray a perturbing fluidity in the lives of return migrants who appear overcome by a sense of ‘double failure’ with regards to both outward migration and subsequent return to their country of origin.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of International Migration and Integration
Early online date23 Jun 2021
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 23 Jun 2021

Keywords

  • return migration
  • global financial crisis
  • post-return experiences
  • Albania
  • origin country
  • homecomings

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