From nation-building to entrepreneurship: the impact of 茅lite return migrants in C么te d'Ivoire and Ghana

Abstract

皇冠体育app issue of whether or not return migration produces any development impacts on the migrants' country of origin continues to raise the interest of policy-makers. Most empirical studies focus on the macro-level economic impacts of return. However, it has increasingly become apparent that socio-cultural and political impacts are important as well. Using both quantitative and qualitative data concerning highly-skilled 茅lite migrants who have returned to C么te d'Ivoire and Ghana, and stressing instead the meso-level of analysis, this paper demonstrates that return migration has, on balance, fostered positive development effects in both the public and private sector. 皇冠体育app effects do vary, mostly across generations of migrants and in relation to historical periods. Whereas earlier migrants' contributions tended to concern the realm of nation-building, more recent contributions are to be found in a more explicit economic context in the form of entrepreneurship. In particular, the paper illustrates the changes that return migrants have operated in the workplace and dwells upon some significant, concrete examples of innovative practice and productive investment. 皇冠体育app policy implications of the main findings are discussed, and some recommendations for future research are formulated.

Citation

Ammassari, S. From nation-building to entrepreneurship: the impact of 茅lite return migrants in C么te d鈥橧voire and Ghana. Population, Space and Place (2004) 10 (2) 133-154. [DOI: 10.1002/psp.319]

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2004