Crise econômica e retorno dos emigrantes da microrregião de Governador Valadares

Abstract

Return is part of the migration project. Since the beginning, in the 1960s, of the emigration movement in the region around the city of Governador Valadares, Brazil, many people have returned from their migratory adventure. However, the recent crisis in American economy has made them return in a greater intensity. This article seeks to understand the conditions of this movement. Methodology was qualitative and quantitative. It was conducted 235 structured interviews among emigrants that returned from 2006 to 2011, in 25 cities of the referred region. The data allow to consider that the emigrants were mainly young people aged between 21 and 30 years old, unmarried, and had money as the main reason for emigration, planning to invest in their homeland and to come back in better economic situation. The main reasons for their return are the unfavorable condition to get money and the increase of immigration control on documentation. Most of the emigrants did not make any financial investment in Brazil and came back without reaching their initial goals. Now, they seek to find a space in the labor market, however, they find difficulties due to years of absence, knowledge gaps and low qualification.