TY - JOUR AU - Parr, Angélique PY - 2019/05/25 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Understanding the motivations for return migration in Australia JF - Australian Population Studies JA - Aust Popul Stud VL - 3 IS - 1 SE - Research Papers DO - 10.37970/aps.v3i1.43 UR - https://www.australianpopulationstudies.org/index.php/aps/article/view/43 SP - 1-12 AB - Background  Return migration is often overlooked by traditional analyses of internal migration. Why people return has received even less scrutiny. Relatively few migrants make a return move, so there is clearly something noteworthy about these people and their circumstances that trigger such a move.Aims  This paper explores why people make return moves in Australia. Data and methods  Migration histories were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews; content analysis of interview transcripts was undertaken.Results  People return for a wider range of reasons than is indicated by neoclassical economic theory. Some of the moves are linked to significant life events such as post-school education and employment. Returns also occur for less tangible factors such as amenity and climate, connections to family, friends and the extent to which a place “feels like home” are equally important.Conclusions  A broader explanatory framework is required to explain why people return. The integration of migrant stories into more traditional migration analyses enriches the story of internal migration. ER -