Understanding the experiences of return and re-adaptation among Polish returnees from long-term international migration: a conceptual framework of re-adaptation

We already know from studies of return migration that factors such as migration duration, return preparedness, and willingness, or returned migrants’ collisions with the home country reality, are vital to their post-return re-adaptation. We know less about which spheres re-adaptation goes most smoothly or is most difficult. Through the analysis of research results, this article proposes a conceptual framework for studying return mobilities and thus contributes to a better understanding of return and re-adaptation realities. Drawing upon 33 interviews with Polish long-term international migrants returning to Poland, the text analyzes their re-adaptation in three layers: individual experience, social relationships, and social environment, and thus, reveals various degrees of re-adaptation. The analysis demonstrates that a complete return requires adaptation in all three layers. Nevertheless, the individual experiencing of return is crucial and determines the process in other layers. To better understand re-adaptation, future research needs to elaborate more on migrants’ individual properties that govern the post-return experiences and to consider the perspective of the receiving society that does or does not welcome the returnees.