Spatial (im)mobility and Kaginhawaan among crisis-driven returned migrants: Post-pandemic pathways of repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers

Le résumé fourni par la source

• Thematic analysis identifies five distinct mobility pathways among crisis-returned migrants: involuntary immobility, voluntary immobility, acquiescent immobility, remigration and an additional category, conditional (im)mobility • Family considerations, structured through gendered expectations about care and provision, constrain or enable (im)mobility while migrants actively construct wellbeing through spatial (im)mobility. • Understanding how crisis returns disrupt migrants' capabilities, transform their aspirations, and reshape family-centered wellbeing under gendered constraints matters not only for labor migration scholarship, but for anticipating and addressing future displacement scenarios in an era of accelerating global instability. Global health emergencies have triggered forced returns for migrants worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the dichotomy between voluntary and involuntary return migration, producing diverse mobility pathways that shaped reintegration and remigration processes. This disruption highlighted the need for policy reforms considering the limited understanding of forced returns in pandemic contexts; insufficient exploration of how spatial (im)mobility intersects with wellbeing among repatriated migrants; and inadequate application of culturally-specific wellbeing frameworks that capture collectivist values. This study addresses these gaps by examining the narratives of 20 repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers who navigated post-return decisions between 2020-2022. We extend the Aspiration-Capability Framework in crisis-return. We critically apply Kaginhawaan– the Filipino concept of wellbeing which centers on family relationships alongside economic, occupational, psycho-emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Through a thematic analysis, our findings reveal five mobility pathways: involuntary immobility (compounding constraints), voluntary immobility (transforming aspiration), acquiescent immobility (care obligations and trauma), remigration (enabling institutional connections), and conditional (im)mobility (managing temporality). Crisis-driven returns compressed timelines, forcing navigation of health crises, economic survival, and family obligations. Family considerations, structured through gendered expectations about care and provision, constrain or enable (im)mobility while migrants actively construct wellbeing through spatial (im)mobility. Understanding how crisis returns disrupt migrants' capabilities, transform their aspirations, and reshape family-centered wellbeing under gendered constraints matters not only for labor migration scholarship, but for anticipating and addressing future displacement scenarios in an era of accelerating global instability.

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