Starting over upon return? Ghanian transit returnees' perspectived life realities
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2024-06-23
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en
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The case study promotes an understanding of transit returnees’ perceived life realities. Employing the practice theory approach, four return stories, including experiences with Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) measures, are analysed in-depth. Apart from transnational identities and placemaking, the role of biographical and characteristic features, the social environment as well as its meaning and function for their wellbeing and aspired livelihood strategies are discussed.
Every perceived life reality is highly individual and complex, represented by multifactorial interdependencies and dynamic changes. Upon return, transit returnees are mentally and socio-economically highly vulnerable. In both regards, the major challenge lies in developing self-efficacy as a prerequisite for establishing autonomous livelihood strategies. Along this process, the social environment, with individuals potentially acting as mentors, can have influence on their wellbeing and agency by providing with material and immaterial resources.
Thus, AVRR programmes should sensitise and involve the entire social network in their support measures. At first, it is required to thoroughly scrutinise the various needs. Adequate assistance must remain individualised, customised, needs-oriented, context-specific, unbureaucratic, transparent, sustainably effective, and carried out as early and quickly as possible. All transit returnees ought to be treated fairly, equally, and respectfully.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen