Retourner de son gré dans un contexte d’ instabilité

The literature suggests that returns that were prepared and decided by migrants tend to last on the long term and do not lead to new departures. What happens when these returns take place in an unstable context ? This article focuses on the case of migrants who decided to return to Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has experienced deep economic and political crises, and where returns have become rare. Using qualitative interviews, we analyse the intentions of returnees to settle permanently or to go back abroad according to their family situation. Our results reveal that individuals implement migration and family strategies that take into account the context and the way they foresee the future, not only for themselves but also for their children.