Of great interest for Europe is the issue of long-term immigrant mobility and, specifically, the reasons why labor emigrants to Western Europe either stay in their destination country, permanently remigrate to their country of origin, or go back and forth regularly as “transmigrants” when they reach retirement. Using a large sample of families from five high-emigrant regions in Turkey derived from the survey “2,000 Families. Migration Histories of Turks in Europe (LineUp),” this study found that histories of transnational migration are common among Turks aged 65 or over. Migration patterns are embedded in transnational family ties and regional migration systems. Health status is not related to high mobility in later life, but property ownership in Turkey as well as religiosity correlate highly with permanent return. Transmigrants and stayers in Europe display intense transnational ties with a strong attachment to their country of origin. This characteristic pattern is likely to change in subsequent generations.
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Helen Baykara-Krumme (2013) studied this question.