The Bittersweet Return ‘Home’? Discourses of Nostalgia for the Country of Migration Among Returnees to Poland and Lithuania

ABSTRACT Although research interest in return migration to Central and Eastern Europe has recently increased, we are still far from fully understanding the factors accounting for whether return is permanent or temporary. This article seeks to contribute to our understanding of return migration to Poland and Lithuania by exploring returnees′ nostalgia for the country of migration, within the context of theoretical debates on nostalgia, transnational belonging, and return migration. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with Polish and Lithuanian returnees, this study examines different types of nostalgia for the country of migration and the strategies used to manage it. We show that nostalgia for the country of migration can serve as a creative strategy, helping returnees engage with the changes in their lives brought about by their return. The findings suggest that successfully managing nostalgia for the previous country of residence can foster a sense of home among returnees and, in turn, help prevent repeat emigration.