Réintégration socio-économique des migrants de retour et hétérogénéité des trajectoires légales en Europe

Abstract

In this article we test the hypothesis that migrants' legal status does not only affect their living conditions in the host country, it also affects their reintegration on returning to the home country. Specifically, it studies the effects of Senegalese migrants' legal status trajectories in Europe on their socio-economic reintegration in Senegal. Using data from the TEMPER survey, we adopt a longitudinal approach of migrant's status while they were in Europe in order to identify links between different patterns of irregular status and several indicators of reintegration in the home country. The results of the regressions show that only those migrants whose irregular situations were the most extreme (deported, or irregular throughout their stay in Europe) are at a disadvantage compared to non-migrants as well as other returnees. The negative impact of irregular legal status is due in part to the difficulty of accumulating social, human and economic capital while in Europe.