Are family and material ties with the origin country determinants for return? A Comparative analysis of Senegal - DR Congo

This paper uses a mixed methods approach to examine the impact of transnational family and material ties on return migration to Senegal and DR Congo. It compares the case of migrants from these two African countries which have experienced different political, economic and social evolutions and where migratory traditions are not the same. This comparison is based on the quantitative biographic dataset of the MAFE project that includes individuals surveyed both at origin and in Europe. Results show that migrants who live with their family in the destination country tend to return less to their home country, and this is even stronger for Congolese migrants. Findings are interpreted in the light of qualitative analysis data collected among return migrants in the regions of Dakar and Kinshasa.