Why do some return migrants reintegrate back home better than others? Why do patterns of reintegration vary so much? Which factors shape the ability of some migrants to transfer their skills and social rights after return? Which resources (e.g., human capital, financial capital, networks and social capital) sustain returnees’ reintegration processes; and to what extent? In sum, what do we know about post-return conditions and about returnees’ aspirations, subjectivities, well-being and projects back home?

Among many others, these are the main issues that motivated the organization of comparative field surveys aimed at collecting primary data. The database on return migrants (DReM) is the consolidated version of two large scale field surveys carried out in Algeria, Armenia, Mali, Morocco and Tunisia. Field data were collected in the framework of two research projects I supervised at the European University Institute. The first one, the MIREM project (i.e. Migration de Retour au Maghreb), was generously funded by the European Union (Brussels), from 2005 to 2008. The second project, the CRIS project, was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC, Bern), from 2011 to 2014.

What is the DReM?
The database on return migrants (DReM) is comprehensive, innovative and in open access. It is comprehensive because it puts at your disposal a huge number of data and variables allowing various profiles and reintegration experiences to be compared, analyzed and understood. It is innovative because there exists no comparable database – let alone in open access – focusing on post-return conditions and on the various factors shaping return migrants’ patterns of reintegration.

How to download and use the DReM:
The DReM is compressed (zipped) in a folder containing the formats in SPSS and in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format for STATA. All the variables strictly refer to those contained in the DReM questionnaire that was constantly used during the fieldwork in each country. Before making use of the DReM, please read the methodological framework.

Please click on the icon to download the full database in SPSS:

A bird’s-eye view of the DReM:
The DReM contains more than 2000 face-to-face interviews made with return migrants in the above-mentioned countries. Interviewees were migrants, men and women, who returned to their country of origin, over the last ten years, after having been an international migrant (whether short-term or long-term) in another country (for at least one year), and who, at the time of the survey, returned for more than three months.

In Algeria, the wilayas of Algiers, Bejaia, Setif and Tlemcen were covered.

Wilayas N %
Algiers 104 31,3
Setif 82 24,7
Bejaia 75 22,6
Tlemcen 71 21,4
Total 332 100,0

In Armenia, more than 40 percent of the interviews were carried out in the provinces of Yerevan, followed by Ararat.

Provinces N %
Yerevan 142 40.7
Ararat 57 16.3
Kotayk 42 12.0
Lori 29 8.3
Shirak 28 8.0
Gegharkunik 21 6.0
Armavir 8 2.3
Vayots Dzor 7 2.0
Aragatsotn 5 1.4
Syunik 5 1.4
Tavush 5 1.4
Total 349 100

In Mali, the main regions covered by the survey were those of Bamako (more than 40 percent), Sikasso and Kayes.

Regions N %
Bamako 142 40.6
Sikasso 102 29.1
Kayes 53 15.1
Koulikoro 53 15.1
Total 350 100

In Morocco, the region of Tadla-Azilal and the coastal regions of Casablanca, Chaouia-Ourdigha and Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër were privileged.

Regions N %
Tadla-Azilal 111 33,6
Casablanca 99 30,0
Chaouia-Ourdigha 57 17,3
Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër 50 15,2
Other regions 13 3,9
Total 330 100,0

In Tunisia, more than 60 percent of the interviews were carried out in the Grand Tunis.

Governorates MIREM survey (N) CRIS survey (N) Total (N) Total (%)
Grand Tunis 177 292 469 64.6
Gabès 0 51 51 7.0
Sousse 40 1 41 5.6
Sfax 40 0 40 5.5
Nabeul 28 6 34 4.7
Kairouan 0 27 27 3.7
Médenine 25 1 26 3.6
Mahdia 20 0 20 2.8
Jendouba 0 11 11 1.5
Bizerte 0 7 7 1.0
Total 330 396 726 100

See also: