New Publication Alert: GAPs-Funded Study on Return Migration in Nigeria
The GAPs team is pleased to announce the publication of a new article by our Nigerian partner, Ngozi Louis Uzomah, titled “Regional Disparities in Returnee Support, Stigmatisation and Reintegration in Nigeria.” within the Special Issue entitled “Processes of Migrants Return and Reintegration: A Comparative Perspective” in the journal International Migration.
The paper underwent internal peer review by Zeynep Sahin-Mencutek, GAPs Co-coordinator from BICC, Germany, and Richa Shivakota from CERC in Migration, at TMU, Canada, a GAPs partner institution prior to submission to the journal.
Key Findings
The study reveals that social stigma is a major barrier to reintegration, with nearly two-thirds of Nigerian returnees planning to re-migrate.
Regional disparities are significant: returnees in the South-East face high levels of stigmatization, while cultural norms in the North-West provide a more supportive environment.
Informal support matters most: family and community ties are more effective than formal reintegration programs in reducing stigma.
Policy implications: current Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs require a fundamental rethinking. The findings call for long-term integration strategies in host countries and culturally sensitive interventions that build on community-level networks.
Implications for the GAPs Project
This publication directly supports GAPs’ mission to de-centre the study of migrant returns and readmission policies by:
Challenging Eurocentric narratives through a nationwide analysis of return migration in Nigeria.
Questioning the effectiveness of reintegration policies, showing uneven outcomes and widespread intentions to re-migrate.
Highlighting the power of informal support systems, emphasizing the need to consider grassroots networks in policy design.
Advocating for culturally sensitive return logistics, including returning migrants to airports closer to their home regions to strengthen existing social ties and encourage subnational government involvement.
Informing future policy recommendations with context-specific insights for sustainable reintegration strategies.
This publication provides valuable empirical evidence that will inform GAPs’ final deliverables and stakeholder engagement activities.
Please note that the article is not open access.
Full reference:
Uzomah, N. L. (2025). Regional Disparities in Returnee Support, Stigmatisation and Reintegration in Nigeria. International Migration, 63(5), e70103. doi/10.1111/imig.70103