Re-integrarsi a casa? Fenomenologia dei ritorni nel nord della Romania - Reintegrating at home? Phenomenology of returns in northern Romania

This article explores the return experiences of migrants in a northeastern region of Romania, historically shaped by patterns of territorial mobility. The analysis focuses on public representations of returnees, their motivations and preparation for return, as well as the employment trajectories and the family and social networks they have mobilized and redefined. A critical perspective is offered on the concepts of voluntariness and reintegration, emphasizing their multidimensional nature – economic, social, cultural, and political. Adopting a layered approach to mobility, the article highlights how the overlapping and succession of different factors over time have rendered the notion of mobility increasingly complex. This complexity challenges conventional distinctions between voluntary and involuntary return, between return and circular migration, and between internal and international mobility.