Return Migration to Afghanistan: Moving Back or Moving Forward?

244 Pages·2016·2.93 MB·English

by  Marieke van Houte (auth.)

Migration,
Diasporas and
Citizenship
RETURN MIGRATION
TO AFGHANISTAN
Moving Back or Moving Forward?
Marieke van Houte
Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship
Series Editors
Robin Cohen
Department of International Development
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Zig Layton-Henry
Department of Politics & International Studies
University of Warwick
Kenilworth, United Kingdom
Editorial Board: Rainer Baubock, European University Institute, Italy;
James F. Hollifield, Southern Methodist University, USA; Daniele Joly,
University of Warwick, UK; Jan Rath, University of Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
The Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship series covers three impor-
tant aspects of the migration process: firstly, the determinants, dynamics
and characteristics of international migration. Secondly, the continuing
attachment of many contemporary migrants to their places of origin,
signified by the word ‘diaspora’, and thirdly the attempt, by contrast,
to belong and gain acceptance in places of settlement, signified by the
word ‘citizenship’. The series publishes work that shows engagement
with and a lively appreciation of the wider social and political issues that
are influenced by international migration. This series develops from our
Migraton, Minorities and Citizenship series, which published leading
figures in the field including Steven Vertovec, Daniele Joly, Adrian Favell,
John Rex, Ewa Morawska and Jan Rath.
More information about this series at
http://www.springer.com/series/14044
Marieke van Houte
Return Migration to
Afghanistan
Moving Back or Moving Forward?
Marieke van Houte
International Migration Institute
Department of International Development
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship
ISBN 978-3-319-40774-6 ISBN 978-3-319-40775-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40775-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016962630
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
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Ausländer sind wir alle—fast überall!
We are all foreigners—almost everywhere
German bumper sticker
Thuis daar zedde baas
Home is where you are in charge
Charles van Houte
Acknowledgements
I realize how much I asked from the participants of this study in
Afghanistan, when I simply asked them to tell the story of their life,
because these were never easy stories to tell and there were no direct ben-
efits to gain. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful, painful,
funny and unforgettable stories.
The fieldwork and writing of this book was made possible with the
generous contributions of UNU-MERIT and the Dutch development
organizations Cordaid and PSO. Thanks to Cordaid Kabul for facilitat-
ing this research and for hosting me during my stay in Kabul. I thank my
translators Walid Fazly and Reza for their dedication and friendship, and
also the members of the Afghan NGO AHRDO for their inspiration and
support during the fieldwork.
I am endlessly grateful to Melissa Siegel, Khalid Koser and Tine Davids,
for their encouragement, feedback and discussions as I was writing this
book. Many thanks also to Ronald Skeldon, Jean-Pierre Cassarino, Hein
de Haas and Ceri Oeppen, for reviewing and giving their feedback on an
earlier version of this book.
Several people commented on earlier drafts of chapters of this book.
Special thanks are due to Özge Bilgili, Ayla Bonfiglio, Kim Caarls, Teun
Eikenaar, Remco Heijmans, Sara Kinsbergen, Arjen Leerkes, Joyce
Römkens and Marieke Wissink, as well as anonymous reviewers for
reading chapters and providing extremely valuable feedback. Thanks to
vii
viii Acknowledgements
Karlijn Driessen for making the illustrations. Also, many thanks to the
editors of Palgrave Macmillan for the pleasant cooperation while prepar-
ing this book.
Thanks for the support from my colleagues at the Radboud University
Nijmegen, the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and UNU-
MERIT, and the International Migration Institute at the University of
Oxford.
While I am immensely grateful for my participants and for the sup-
port from funders, colleagues and institutes, this book would not have
been here without the transformative intervention of a handful of people.
Thanks to George and Tiny van Houte for showing me how to live, Kees
Kentin for showing me how to care, Hans Fabrie for showing me how to
play the game, and Remco Heijmans for showing me how to love.
Marieke van Houte
Contents
1 I ntroduction 1
1.1 Th e Rise of Return Migration as a Multi- tool for Policy 1
1.2 R esearch Question 15
1.3 Th eoretical Perspectives on Return and Development:
Structure, Agency, or Structure and Agency? 17
1.4 M ethods 25
1.5 O utline of This Book 26
1.6 C onclusion 29
2 Afghanistan 39
2.1 W hy Afghanistan as a Case Study? 39
2.2 A Political History of Conflict,
Migration and Return 40
2.3 Afghan Migration to Europe 55
2.4 Conclusion 61
3 Meanings of and Motivations for Return 69
3.1 I ntroduction 69
3.2 S tructure and Agency, Capacities and Desires in Return 72
ix
x Contents
3.3 S tructural Reality of Afghan Conflict and Migration 77
3.4 N arratives of Return 80
3.5 C onclusion: Deconstructing the Meanings of
and Motivations for Return 87
4 The Hierarchization of Migration 95
4.1 I ntroduction 95
4.2 M ultidimensional Embeddedness 97
4.3 “ Waves” of Afghan Migration 99
4.4 V oluntary and Involuntary Return 101
4.5 D iscussion: Migration and Return Migration as
a Reinforcement of Socio-Economic Stratification 109
4.6 C onclusion 112
5 Love (n)or Marriage 119
5.1 I ntroduction 119
5.2 S ample and Methods 122
5.3 I dentity, Marriage, Migration and Change 125
5.4 C onclusion 138
6 Returnees for Change? 145
6.1 I ntroduction 145
6.2 R eturn Migrants as Agents of Change? 147
6.3 Challenges of “Post-conflict” Afghanistan 151
6.4 I dentification with Conflict and Potential to 
Be Agents of Change 155
6.5 C onclusion 167
7 C onclusion 175
7.1 R eturn Migrants as Agents of Change? 175
7.2 M ain Findings 176
7.3 C onclusion and Policy Implications 183