5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Migration, displacement and exile and their accompanying challenges have been a prominent feature of life across different regions of the world, particularly in the 21^st century. The number of people moving from their habitual places of residence has reached an unprecedented level in this century. However, with every migration flow comes the issue of return migration, that is, individuals and groups who return to their home communities, regions or states, either voluntarily or because they are compelled to do so. Return migration and return from exile has only received scholarly attention in the past two decades. In public discourses, life after return is hardly discussed.

This session will be devoted to research on return migration, return from exile, ‘returnees’ in general, and related issues, from an empirical perspective. We are interested in studies which examine family and group experiences of return migration, as well as biographical trajectories of returnees.

We invite papers that document the experiences of ‘returnees’ from different regions of the world with their unique peculiarities and challenges. What position do the returnees occupy in the families and communities they left behind? And how do returnees react to their familiar, and yet new, situation? This includes the formation of groups and associations that negotiate with local or national authorities. Studies with a cross-national or regional perspective are particularly welcome. What challenges are faced by ‘returnees’ when they move from one country to another? How do different government policies affect their experiences?