Migration and the Return of Migrants to the Republic of Moldova: Perceptions of the Population and Experts from the Southern Region

Abstract

Mass departures from the Republic of Moldova can no longer be viewed as a passing phenomenon, they have structurally reconfigured the economy, the family, and local communities. This study starts precisely from this reality and seeks to understand how migration is experienced and interpreted by those who remain: the population of the southern region and representatives of local public authorities. The research combines two types of data: a survey applied among the population and local experts, conducted within a state project, and semi-structured interviews carried out within the ReMiReM project. This combination was not a formal choice, it was necessary, because numbers alone do not explain why people choose to leave or to stay. What we found did not surprise us, but it confirmed a real tension: migration is seen, at the same time, as a solution and as a problem. Financial transfers and investments brought by migrants improve family living standards, but behind these gains lie depopulated villages, children raised without parents, and communities that grow thinner with each passing year. As for return, the desire exists, but it rarely translates into a decision. The lack of job opportunities, institutional instability, and the concrete difficulties of reintegration mean that returning home remains, for many, more of a plan than a reality. UDC: 314.7:332.1(478); JEL: J11, J61, O15