Returning to Dakar: The role of migration experience for professional
(2010)
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- Abstract
- This paper uses mixed methods to investigate the impact of international migration experience on occupational status in the context of return migration to Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective is to study the professional situation of return migrants back in Senegal, and to contrast their labour market characteristics with non-migrants. Moreover, we explore whether differential international migration experiences and return conditions are a key factor in explaining occupational status. The quantitative data for this study comes from the MAFE survey (Migration between AFrica and Europe, 2008), which collected life-histories both at origin (Senegal) and in European destination countries (France, Spain, and Italy). The qualitative analysis is based on semi-structured interviews with return migrants in the region of Dakar. The results suggest that returnees are in general able to join the labour market after their return, and that “retirement” return migration is negligible. In lines with previous research, they are found to be overrepresented in self-employed jobs. However, self-employment is not necessarily associated with a positive migration and return experience. Rather than a choice, the selfemployment status appears as a “last resort” for individuals who were not able to accumulate capital abroad or to prepare their return, and are obliged to continuously sustain their family once they are back in Dakar.
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Mezger, C., & Flahaux, M.-L. (2010). Returning to Dakar: The role of migration experience for professional (MAFE Working Paper Vol. 8, p. 32 (2010)). https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/33176