The Gender Gap in Return Policies and Gendered Experiences of Return Migration

Return policies have increased in prominence over the past two decades alongside migration governance. These policies commonly exclude the gender specific needs of female returnees. This chapter examines the gender gap in return policies and uses a case study of Serbia to elucidate the consequences of return policies on female returnees. Research has demonstrated that female returnees frequently face gender-specific challenges as part of their migration that informs and shapes strategies for survival and decision-making during the migration journey and return process. Further, gender-specific considerations need to be incorporated in the reintegration process. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews conducted within the Reintegrate project with 50 returnees (both male and female) and 37 key stakeholders in Serbia. The results show that, first, return and reintegration policies do not account for family migration and the gendered specific needs of women in their return. Second, women have gender-specific needs as return migrants, including support to deal with the lasting consequences of trauma experienced, support for economic independence, and their role as mothers. The analysis contributes to the gap in research on the gendered experiences of return migrants and the need for gender-sensitive reintegration policies.