‘Come back, invest, and advance the country.’ Policy myths and migrant realities of return and development in Senegal

Since the early 2000s, policy debates and academic research on the linkages between migration and development have blossomed. Within this discussion, a particular focus is on the potential of return migrants’ investment in home economies. In origin countries, scholars have observed growing policy interest towards emigrant communities, highlighting that Southern governments have intensified their contacts with overseas diasporas and invite them to come back, invest and help advance the country. I argue that widespread policy optimism about return, investment and development is based on a number of misconceptions. I defend this argument with reference to the case study of Senegal. In this chapter, I offer a critical examination of current official policy discourse about the return- and-development nexus in Senegal and uncover key underlying erroneous myths.