The “Return Politics” of a Sending Country
The “Return Politics” of a Sending Country
The Italian Case, 1880s–1914
This chapter analyzes return migration in the Italian context. Return migration stands out as one of the distinguishing features of Italian migration at the turn of the twentieth century. The fact that so many people returned home—and did so continuously—reflected the ways in which Italy's public policy deliberately facilitated return movement. Starting in the 1900s, the Italian state launched a global policy that encouraged the repatriation of remittances, to consolidate lasting political, social, and affective ties between migrants and Italy as a nation, and to alleviate obstacles to emigrants' returns as much as possible. This policy was grounded in a wide variety of cultural, ideological, economic, and legal instruments. Promoted through the combined action of the state, various associations representing members of the Italian elite, and even the Italian Catholic church, this policy involved both private (collective) organizations and state support.
Keywords: return migration, transnationalism, Italian migration, migrants, Italy, public policy, repatriation, remittances
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