ABSTRACT
Growing interest in Return Migration to Africa (RM-2-A) is rooted in an assumed positive relationship between RM-2-A and development. The phenomenon is touted as a progress catalyst – an Afro-centric human mobility phenomenon which fuels technology transfer, while enabling “brain regain”, foreign networks and market access, (North–South) capital mobility, and knowledge and skills circulation. Through desk research, I critique west-centric renditions of the development potential of RM-2-A. I argue that complex agent-specific and structure-specific factors influence RM-2-A's development potential: returnees’ quality and capacity speak to agency; receptivity of return-destination African polities, conditions animating return, and return-policy innovations, underline structure. Agency and structure are historically deep-rooted, complex, multilocated issues obtained within re-sending and return countries. This begs caution regarding RM-2-A's development potential, given possible contradictory, even selfish, agendas pursued by return migrants, host and receiving countries, and pro-RM-2-A actors. This careful reflection can enrich our grasp of differential contributions of RM-2-A to the development of different African locales.
