ABSTRACT
Labour migration to the Gulf countries and their subsequent return migration has been an important dimension of international migration in India since the 1970s. The process of return and its socio-economic implications in the context of international migration is understudied, especially in the newly emerged pockets of international migration such as rural parts of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Moreover, the large-scale return of unskilled and semi-skilled labour from Gulf countries due to the economic crisis in the initial part of the second decade of this century and also the “Arabization of manpower” policies of the Middle East countries. In this context, this study evaluates the Gulf returnees’ socio-economic status along with their readjustment process after returning to their villages in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Most of the return migrants in the Murshidabad district were young men with low levels of education, skills, and experience. The main motivation behind emigration was better job opportunities and salaries that would help them to meet household expenses and improve their standard of living. About one-third of returnees acquired some form of upward occupational mobility, while the majority had no change in their occupations. The lack of suitable jobs in the villages further triggered the feeling of distress among the returnees. The majority of the migrants who returned were unprepared, with no significant accumulation of material and non-material resources, to facilitate their easy reintegration. Lack of job, low income, feelings of uselessness, and peer pressure were the main challenges for readjustment after returning to their native villages. Most importantly, the study reiterates the fact that the unsuccessful experiences of returnees force them to look for new avenues and mostly re-emigrate for work again.
