From Return to Settlement

A concept outlining, step by step, the process by which a person returns to their home country after staying or migrating abroad and reintegrates into society

From Return to Settlement

Overview

'From Return to Settlement' is a concept referring to the series of processes through which a person who has stayed abroad for a long period or migrated returns to their home country (or region of origin) and establishes themselves once again as a member of society. Return is merely a physical movement, but settlement is a multilayered reintegration process involving the rebuilding of housing, employment, education, healthcare, administrative services, and social networks. Accordingly, this topic is directly connected to social integration policies for a variety of groups, including immigrants, refugees, overseas Koreans (jaeoe dongpo), North Korean defectors, and dispatched workers.

Main Content

1. Types and Triggers of Return

Return is largely divided into voluntary return, forced return (deportation or repatriation), and circular return (seasonal or short-term re-migration). Triggers vary widely, including economic recession, visa expiration, economic opportunities in the home country, family caregiving, health issues, and changes in political circumstances. Depending on the type, the nature and intensity of the support needed for settlement differ greatly. For example, for voluntary returnees, housing and business start-up support are important, while for forced returnees, restoration of legal status and psychological recovery become priority tasks.

2. Stages of Settlement

Settlement is generally divided into four stages: ① entry and securing legal status, ② short-term stay (securing housing and livelihood), ③ medium-term adaptation (employment, education, language), and ④ long-term integration (community participation and civic rights). These stages overlap rather than proceed sequentially, and many studies indicate that experiences during the first six months to two years determine the success or failure of long-term settlement. In particular, if access to administrative services, housing, and healthcare is not secured during the early stabilization period, called the 'golden time of settlement,' there is a high risk of leading to secondary migration or re-departure.

3. Institutions and Support Policies

In the case of South Korea, the Overseas Koreans Agency, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and local governments share responsibility for return and settlement support. Representative examples include the overseas Korean (F-4) visa, settlement support for North Korean defectors (Hanawon), the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP) for marriage migrants and naturalized citizens, and employment support for young people returning from overseas internships. Support is broadly classified into ① legal and administrative support, ② housing and livelihood support, ③ employment and business start-up support, ④ education and language support, and ⑤ psychological and medical support. Recently, integrated one-stop service windows that eliminate barriers between ministries, such as 'one-stop settlement services,' have been emphasized.

4. Factors Obstructing Settlement

Representative obstacles include linguistic and cultural unfamiliarity, career interruption and non-recognition of qualifications, housing cost burdens, social stigma, the complexity of administrative procedures, and family separation. In particular, the problem of 'non-recognition of careers,' in which careers and networks formed abroad are not properly recognized in the home country, is cited as a key factor causing highly educated returnees to leave.

5. Conditions for Successful Settlement

Researchers present ① guaranteed housing and income for early stabilization, ② institutional recognition of qualifications and careers, ③ peer and mentor networks, ④ community-based multicultural receptivity, and ⑤ policy design involving the participation of those concerned as conditions for success. In other words, settlement should be approached not as charitable support but as a matter of guaranteeing rights and rebuilding social relationships.

Latest Trends

In 2024–2025, major trends include ① the reorganization of the return support system through the 'Basic Plan for Overseas Korean Policy' after the launch of the Overseas Koreans Agency, ② the expansion of 'returning youth regional settlement' programs linked to responses to local extinction, ③ new settlement demand following an increase in returns by digital nomads and overseas remote workers, ④ the shift in North Korean defector settlement support toward self-reliance, and ⑤ the automation of settlement support using AI-based administrative and translation services. In addition, as international migration increases due to climate change, conflicts, and other factors, research dealing with the circular path of 'return–re-migration–resettlement' is increasing.