Practices and challenges of reintegration of female return migrants in Ethiopia: the case of domestic labor migrants in East and West Arsi Zones of Oromia Regional State

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the return migrants’ state of reintegration. Qualitative approach was used to obtain data from 32 return migrants that were included in the study by availability sampling method. They were drawn from two districts of Arsi zone and West Arsi zones of Oromia regional state. The economic, social, and psychological aspects that influence human life were taken as theoretical framework for the study. The qualitative data generated from the participants indicated variations among the return migrants in their reintegration. It was observed that only two migrants were successful in all the three dimensions of reintegration. The researchers feel that psychological reintegration must be highly related to their economic situation as they frequently mentioned economic problem for the cause of their being scared in the community. The majority (24) of the return migrants were successfully reintegrated in the social dimensions of life. The socio-cultural values of the community had contributed greatly in this regard. The return migrants’ failure to reintegrate was worsened as they could not find the money they had sent to their family from abroad. Almost all of them could not get back their money as their family used the migrants as source of income to solve their economic problem. In the process of their reintegration, return migrants lacked attention from the local government in their economic reintegration. Therefore, the [forced] return migrants require multifaceted approach: job opportunity (or economic support), skills training, and psychosocial support.