Coming home? : a qualitative study of return migration to Gozo

Abstract

Return migration is a part of the migration’s complex cycle. In part it is a continuing journey for an improved lifestyle and a movement by which emigration from the home country to a host country is followed by a return to the home country. This dissertation addresses Gozitan citizens who relocated to their ancestral homeland, and it explores the reasons for their relocation. It focuses on the transitory period upon arrival that respondents experienced and their aspect of ‘duality’. Using qualitative research methodologies, semi-structured interviews were held in Gozo with 25 respondents (twelve women and thirteen men), who lived in Australia, the U.S. or Canada and returned home. The latter together with the case studies from other countries in Europe, attempt to provide an understanding into the multi-layered issues of return migration and emphasize the roles of transitions and duality. The findings reveal that the main reason for leaving Gozo was economical, as Gozo was experiencing serious unemployment. However this move was not an easy one and in fact along their migration cycle, returnees experienced both enjoyable experiences and hardship. Coming face to face with different religious beliefs and new social norms, returnees were influenced and they had to adapt to these new social norms of the host country. During their stay in the host country, Gozitans frequented, clubs and associations formed by Gozitan and Maltese migrants where they could meet and interact with each other and exchange their everyday experiences and problems. Interacting with fellow Maltese and Gozitans enabled them to keep practising their mother culture and maintain their duality. As time went by migrants started to return back to Gozo due to social attachments and strong family ties. This process of return migration can be reflected in the many house name plaques and house façade stone decorations in the island of Gozo. Participants were grateful to their host country for recovering them from the material deprivation of Gozo. As it is pointed out and suggested throughout the dissertation more support and recognition is being and should be given to these returned migrants.