The participation of Haitian migrants living in Canada in their society of origin: between projection on return and sedentary transnationalism

Abstract

Returning to Haiti remains an essential aspiration for many Haitian migrants. It is at the heart of their project and their migratory cycles. Much more than a simple migratory aspiration, it is even a project for some. Faced with the chronic socio-political crises of their country of origin, they consider retirement as the ideal moment for the materialization of this project. A qualitative survey conducted in the Ottawa-Gatineau region among Haitian migrants has shown that this return project is associated with a logic of sedentary transnationalism and citizen participation activities coated with symbolic meanings that emanate from their migratory experiences, in particular from the migrant condition. The transnational way of life they put into perspective presupposes a political status that guarantees the capacity for cross-border mobility. This article aims to highlight this way of life and the transnational social practices associated with it.