Drivers of return of Sri Lankan migrants in the skill spectrum from the Gulf region

For Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Gulf region, returning home is an irrevocable aspect of their migration journeys as Gulf countries do not provide any pathways for permanent settlement. However, the circumstances surrounding their return vary from one migrant worker to another and depend on a range of interconnected and interdependent factors. This paper, based on a survey of 205 returnee migrant workers and in-depth interviews with 21 returnees, assesses these reasons for return.