Return migration to Turkey: Causes, consequences and re- integration problems

The labor agreement signed between Germany and Turkey in 1961 was an important first step in terms of migration from Turkey to abroad. After this point, with the labor agreements signed with different countries, migrations from Turkey to European countries have become massive. As a matter of fact, as a result of this mass migration, it is possible to talk about the existence of a Turkish society extending to the fifth generation, especially in Europe. The first people who migrated abroad from Turkey after the agreements are defined as the first generation in the literature. The individuals defined as the third generation are the grandchildren of the first generation born and raised abroad. As an extension of the principle of rotation in the first labor agreement signed, most of those who migrated abroad in this period went to these countries for a short time and in order to save. However, it is seen that this idea has not been realized in the historical process and most of the first-generation representatives of immigration have lived abroad for many years. Although they have lived abroad for many years, it has been observed that the first-generation representatives of immigration always keep their plans to return to Turkey alive. From this point of view, it is seen that the first-generation representatives of labor migration from Turkey to abroad returned to the homeland at various times and with differing motivations. It has been observed that the third generation immigrated to Turkey for reasons such as the perception of their homeland and education career in their minds. Although it is seen that the majority of first-generation immigrants return to their homeland within the scope of their retirement plans, it is understood that the cyclical changes and the return incentive laws enacted by the host countries also have a catalytic effect on the return. Some of the socialization of first-generation immigrants who migrated abroad from Turkey during their youth took place in Turkey and some abroad. It has been observed that immigrants returning to Turkey after living abroad for many years have problems in many areas, from social life to access to public services and bureaucracy. Despite the cultural differences between the first generation and the third generation, it has been determined that some of the problems are common. In addition to all these problems, it has been understood that the imagination of the homeland in the minds of the immigrants carries traces of the homeland perceptions from the years they migrated and the periods they came for vacation at a certain time of the year. Likewise, the experience of Turkey during the holidays and what they learned about the homeland from the first generation had an impact on the shaping of the third generation's perception of the homeland. The fact that the imagination of the homeland in the mind did not match with the reality in the homeland, which was encountered after the return, was also effective in the emergence of some adaptation problems. It is possible to examine these problems with the concepts of integration and re-integration according to the different characteristics of the migrating generations.