Intentions to stay: The experiences of return migrants in Albania

The economic crisis intensified both the magnitude and complexity of return migration dynamics, increasing migrants’ likelihood of returning to their country of origin mainly as a consequence of unemployment and the worsening of their economic conditions. Despite the importance gained recently, little research has been focused on the relationship between economic consitions and return migration due to the lack of data on the subject. This paper is aimed at contributing to the existent literature on the subject by analysing the case of Albanian migrants who returned between 2009-2013. Data drawn from the 2013 Albanian Survey on Return Migration and Reintegration is used to estimate logistic regression models to predict the intentions to stay in the country of origin after returning. These analyses help us to better understand how return trajectories arise and develop according to the characteristics of returnees, those of their initial migratory project and the situations experienced during and after migration