Return migration, entrepreneurship and development

In this chapter I present an overview of two main approaches to return migration, entrepreneurship and development that address the topic, respectively, from a top-down state-driven perspective and from a bottom-up migrant-centred one. The first approach exemplifies the mindset of government institutions toward return and entrepreneurship and emphasises development outcomes at the level of national economic growth. The second approach focuses on the real-life experiences and transnational practices of migrants setting up businesses in the homeland. It also allows a broader understanding of development outcomes in social and political terms. Recognising the value of both top-down and bottom-up approaches, I underscore the importance of moving beyond a dualistic approach that sees them as mutually exclusive. I argue that a meso-level analysis - that pays attention to both macro-level outcomes and how these can result from upscaling the micro-level experiences and practices of migrants - may better capture the complexities of the return-entrepreneurship debate.