Should I stay or should I go? Return migration in times of crises

The current economic downturn has a significant impact on migrants' lives, including their considerations of return. Massive returns have potentially disastrous consequences for migrants' countries of origin, especially those countries that have become dependent on remittances. Yet, return is the least understood part of the migration process. Based on comparative observations of the same group of migrants following the Argentinean crisis in 2001 and the current economic downturn in Spain, this paper sheds light on how migrants decide about returning to their country of origin during times of crises. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.