Abstract:

Assuming that return migration decision-making is a multi-faced and multidimensional process, this paper examines the migration behaviors of young migrants to find out what the main determinants of their return intentions are. It utilizes the data obtained by surveying Croatian migrants in 2018 and proposes an ordered logit regression model for their return intention probabilities. The results show that the economic success, social integration and cultural shock variables, which were constructed using a factor analysis, play a significant role in determining return migration intentions. More specifically, the strength of perceived social integration turns out to have the largest impact on the probability of a return intention, indicating that young migrants are not exclusively and predominantly economic migrants. In general, the results suggest that the reasons shaping migrants’ return intentions are overlapping and accordingly no single theory is sufficient to provide a comprehensive understanding of return intentions of young migrants. The findings obtained provide a valuable basis for formulating migration policy suggestions for both the host and the home countries.