How does it feel to return after such a long time? Do I want to go back because I have to – or because I want to? ‎‎

Asmir was 15 when the war in Yugoslavia began. As a teenager, he emigrated to Germany in a cloak-and-dagger operation, with nothing but a plastic bag full of personal belongings. That was 27 years ago. He grew up in Berlin and built a life for himself as an entrepreneur: he distils his own spirits, runs a bar in the city and has lots of ideas about how he would like to develop himself and his business.

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Due to his eventful life in Berlin, the question of his origins – his old home – remained in the background for Asmir for a long time. And yet, for many migrants, the question ‘What if I went back?’ is always present, at least as a thought experiment: What if I return and no one I know is left in my hometown? What if everything has changed and nothing feels familiar anymore? Can roots simply disappear after a long absence? 

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Migration is often understood as travelling to a new, unknown country. For many people, however, migration also means returning to a country they are familiar with, their old home. Whether one decides to return voluntarily or is forced to do so, the topic of return encompasses a wide range of questions about origin and belonging, integration, identity, and cultural and social influences.

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Following the documentary film ‘Distilled’, videos from the current EU research project GAPs - Decentring the study of migrant returns and readmission policies in Europe and beyond and the series on ‘Return Migration’ produced by Migration Matters e.V. will be presented.

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The themed evening RETURNING combines film, a discussion with protagonist Asmir and filmmaker** Christopher Larson**, a discussion prompt from migration expert Ruth Vollmer (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies) and an exchange of knowledge and experiences among the audience.