Return Migration of Qualified Turkish Migrants from Germany and the US

Abstract

This study investigates the return migration of Turkish qualified migrants to Turkey from Germany and the US. Depending on a qualitative research which included 80 in-depth interviews with returnees, it comparatively explores their reasons for return, level of re-adaption to Turkey after return, ongoing connections with Germany/the US, and intentions to re-migrate. The analysis indicates that cultural, familial, and emotional reasons were more influential in their return than economic or professional ones. Additionally, discrimination is a major reason behind return from Germany, but not from the US. Our study shows that returnees face serious difficulties in re-adaptation and reverse culture-shock after their return. Also, they have low levels of ongoing connections with the host country, other than their personal connections. Finally, most returnees from Germany talked about their stay in Turkey as permanent, while returnees from the US were more open to re-migrating. Our study shows that when migrants see international migration as a positive experience, return migration does not necessarily constitute the end of the migration cycle; they become open to repeating the experience of migration.