Challenges and Opportunities in the Sustainable Reintegration of Ethiopian Returnees from Europe
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Date
2026-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study investigates the multidimensional challenges of reintegration among Ethiopian returnees from Europe, focusing specifically on economic, social, and psychosocial dimensions in Addis Ababa. Employing a convergent mixed-methods research design, quantitative data were gathered from a total population of 847 registered returnees using stratified random sampling, yielding a sample of 385 respondents using Cochran's Formula with Finite Population Correction. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 30 returnees and 5 key informants from relevant institutions. The findings reveal that reintegration is severely challenging across all dimensions; however, economic reintegration is the most critical barrier, driven by persistent unemployment, unsustainable migration debt, and the absence of skill-utilization opportunities. Social stigmatization associated with "failed migration" substantially hinders social reintegration, while psychosocial recovery is impeded by unresolved trauma, emotional distress, and a fractured sense of identity and belonging. Return voluntariness, resources accumulated abroad, and quality institutional support emerge as the most significant predictors of positive reintegration outcomes across all three dimensions.
Keywords: Return migration, reintegration, mixed methods, Quantitative, Qualitative
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Keywords
Return migration, reintegration, mixed methods, Quantitative, Qualitative