Women’s Return Migration: Challenges, Opportunities and Rights

Women’s Return Migration: Challenges, Opportunities, and Rights – Transnational Reflections from the Final Conference in Palermo

During the project’s final conference, held on October 23–24 in Palermo, the seminar “Women’s Return Migration: Challenges, Opportunities and Rights” was conducted by Stellamarina Donato. The event featured the participation of experts and professionals from various international contexts: Saidane Lamis from the University of Jendouba (Tunisia), Doaa Essemlali from CEFA (Morocco), and Virginia Wangare and Garnet Parris from Maisha e.V. (African Women in Germany).

The seminar represented an important opportunity to reflect on the project’s results, focusing on two key questions:

• What can different regional and national contexts—such as Tunisia, Morocco, or others—teach us about the opportunities, constraints, and pathways for women involved in return migration?
  
• Which innovative approaches or best practices can help us rethink return migration as a process of transformation rather than merely the conclusion of a migration journey?
  

The discussion highlighted the value of a transnational perspective on migration, even during the return phase. Key elements emerged for supporting women in their reintegration into their countries of origin: self-awareness, the recognition of entrepreneurial skills, personal aspirations, and social networks.

At the same time, some critical factors were emphasized: access to information in the country of origin, the role of family and community, and the need to develop support networks that place women’s agency at the center. In this context, the contributions of organizations such as CEFA and Maisha e.V. proved essential in providing concrete support and accompanying women throughout their return journeys.

The seminar thus offered a multi-voiced reflection, combining practical experience with academic knowledge, and opening new perspectives on how return migration can be understood as an opportunity for personal and social transformation.