Migrants’ Post-Return Wellbeing: A View From the Caucasus

Despite the increasing attention in academic literature, it continues to be extremely challenging to capture the complexity of reintegration processes and post-return situations. This article argues that the concept of well-being, which captures contextual differences, self-chosen points of reference and summarizes a multitude of outcomes, has the potential to fill some of the gaps in current studies. This approach is translated into a longitudinal and qualitative research, applied to study the post-return situations of 65 (rejected) asylum applicants and undocumented migrants who return through an assisted return programme from Belgium to their country of origin Armenia or Georgia. The findings reveal particular accents, priorities and vulnerabilities linked to personal trajectories and pre- and post-return contexts and touches upon different connections, contrasts and interactions between components of post-return well-being. Accordingly, the results highlight that the lens of well-being is a useful strategy to uncover the complexity and dynamics of post-return situations.   

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