ABSTRACT
Removing an individual from a given territory is one of the most severe forms of exclusion from a society and community. It brings up questions of proportionality, rights and efficiency. This chapter investigates return and readmission policy as a developing field of research within migration studies. It presents three research strands: (1) A first has dealt with power asymmetries and the inter-state negotiations of (bilateral and EU) readmission agreements and return policies. (2) Second, scholars have investigated the implementation dynamics of such a cooperation. There has been a considerable interest in understanding the reasons for a ‘gap’ between the number of expulsion orders and effectuated returns. (3) And finally, there has been attempts to better grasp the impact of a return procedure for the migrant concerned. Research projects have traced the post-deportation experiences and integration of migrants. Overall, researchers may build upon this knowledge and continue to investigate return policies and politics including the EU’s changing relations with countries of migrants’ origin and transit.
