El Retorno; A Shift in Colombians’ Migration Pattern

• In Event: Incorporating Migrants into the Polity: International Migration, Livelihoods and Sustainable Development

Abstract

At the end of the 1990’s, Colombia faced an unprecedented exodus of its educated citizens, who feared the daily violence caused by the growing political conflict and the economic slowdown that plagued the country. By 2005, according to the national census, eight percent of the population lived abroad and, at this time, most Colombians were reluctant to return home.
Close to ten years have gone by and the situation in Colombia has changed dramatically as many Colombian citizens are opting to return home due to the tremendous economic transformation that is taking place in the country. This paper will analyze the main public policies that the government of Colombia has implemented since 2009 to encourage this trend and support the return of expatriates. Conscious of the need to support returnees, the government and congress passed the CONPES 3603 of 2009, Law 1565 of 2012, Decrees 1000 and 2064 of 2013. The study will analyze the usefulness of these initiatives in light of the needs of those returning home.
In addition to examining public policy initiatives, the study will also present and analyze the findings of interviews with key informants in the government as well as the results of a targeted sample survey administered via internet to 557 Colombians living abroad by students of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The survey provided insights into the socio-economic characteristics of potential returnees, the reasons why they emigrated and their intentions, if any, of returning to their country. The results of this two-prong study will be used as the basis for the concluding policy recommendations.

Author

• Milena Gomez Kopp, Universidad Externado de Colombia