Towards a definition for returnees' reintegration processes in the context of rural Ethiopia

Abstract Although there is a substantial and growing volume of research on the return and reintegration processes of migrants, insufficient attention has been paid to the contextual meaning of reintegration, in particular for those returning to rural areas. Accordingly, based on an extensive literature review complemented with insights from forced returnees and stakeholders working with this population in rural Ethiopia, the current article disentangles the contextual meaning returnees give to reintegration, its dimensions and the indicators determining success. By doing this, we highlight crucial environmental and social factors within these reintegration processes that have been omitted in previous operationalizations. We conclude with a concrete operationalization of reintegration in the context of rural Ethiopia and reflect on the implication of these findings for theory contextualization and for policymakers and people who implement reintegration support.