Authors: Nassim Majidi, Samuel Hall & Juliette Samman, Samuel Hall; Pelin Kılınçarslan & Müge Dalkıran, Koç University; Iveta Gogava, Hussam Rekani, Ovigwe Eguegu, Samuel Hall
Everything is predictable in Europe but not upon return.
Returnees described a striking asymmetry: migration and return in Europe are governed through increasingly structured procedures, categories and timelines, while life after return is far less predictable. Returnees may encounter structural barriers to housing, employment and public services alongside stigma, family expectations and community pressure. These conditions shape not only what happens after return, but also what people imagine will happen: what they fear, hope for and expect; whether and how they prepare; and what futures they believe will be possible once they arrive.
This paper argues that return imaginaries shape how returnees anticipate and prepare for reintegration, but whether imagined futures become viable depends on their agency, resources and the social and institutional conditions to which they return.