“You became a toubab”

Understanding the temporary return through the prism of the expectations of the family left behind among migrants from sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Migration and temporary return to the sending society are important moments, both for the migrant and for his or her family back home. Non-migrant relatives expect a lot from the returning migrant in terms of solidarity and redistribution of accumulated wealth in Europe. Based on a qualitative multi-sited survey in Bordeaux among migrants from West Africa and their families in Senegal and Burkina Faso, this study presents the challenges of the temporary return to the prism of the expectations of the non-migrant family. The results show how these migrants who have difficulty meeting the expectations of the non-migrant family are labeled as “toubab” and the effects of this labelling on the social, family and identity dimensions.