The study of reintegration after return is often disconnected from research into the intention and realization of return. This article develops a new conceptual framework, linking the intention and realization of return with the reintegration process. This framework is used to study the cases of Senegalese and Congolese migrants through a mixed‐methods approach. Quantitative data from the Migration between Africa and Europe (MAFE) project, which collected the life stories of migrants and return migrants in origin and destination countries, are combined with qualitative interviews with returnees. In line with the conceptual framework, the analyses highlight the role of migrants’ projections about their potential reintegration on return as well as the importance for reintegration in the preparation for return. Along with importance of migrants’ aspirations, the authors emphasise the role of external factors, such as family and context in origin and destination countries.

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