I’ve finally put together a short ‘cheat sheet’ for people preparing to repatriate to their home country. Repatriations and return migrations are very common but they are not talked about as much as moves abroad, which is why I chose to do my PhD research on the subject. My research was with British households returning to the UK from Singapore, who generously gave their time to help me find out more about their experiences. Although this research is specific to the people who took part and the places they moved between, I think there are also some general pointers that might be helpful to others undertaking a return home.
The Cheat sheet for positive repatriations and return migrations (PDF) is a very short introduction to some ways of thinking about and planning for a repatriation. Preparation seems to be a key factor in making a return home a positive one. The cheat sheet encourages returnees to prepare by thinking about what changes they might experience, what things will stay the same and what is different about returning compared to moving to a new place.
I hope this will help people with their moves home – please do let me know if it helps you or someone you know, or if you have any feedback on it.
Download the Cheat sheet for positive repatriations and return migrations (PDF).
Madeleine Hatfield 