Ease of reentry is an important factor in determining reverse migration, says Simone Wegge, an economist who studies migration history at the CUNY Graduate Center. Wegge says immigrants must consider: "If they do return, is it really easy to come back?” If not, she says, “They are less likely to return.”
By April, after 16 months in existence, Bienvenidos a Casa had only 3,381 participants worldwide, with about half the returnees coming from New York. Over the same period, Senami had subsidized only 78 new business plans proposed by returning migrants. According to Calle, the participants from New York are mainly long-term undocumented immigrants with significant savings.
Victor is determined to not repeat the voyage: “Now it would be $15,000 and be more dangerous.” Others cannot even consider a second journey, not having yet paid off the initial passage to New York.
Whether burdened by debt from the journeys, or just hindered by lack of opportunity back home, most Ecuadorians, no matter how bad the economy is in New York, will stay, but still they hold on to the dream of returning.
Even if their dreams do come true, many wonder what Ecuador holds for them after all the time away. “After 14 years, nobody will remember me. Nobody knows me,” Manuel reflected.
For the names of the illegal immigrants quoted above, only first names and last initials were used, so this article would not facilitate prosecution.
