The publication of The myth of returning to Mauritius (l’express, 19.01.05) has brought extensive discussion both in Mauritius and in the Mauritian community in the UK. A well-read Mauritian I met during a visit in Mauritius said he was a keen reader of my publications and shared many of my views. A long established compatriot in England sent me an email: “I have read the article. I have no argument with it; I am part of the evidence.” Feedback on my writings about Mauritian immigrants since the late 60s strongly suggests it is high time to bring the theme to a conclusion.

This paper will focus on the complex question of why first generation immigrants still feel restless with the desire to return home, regardless of negative comments that they feel like strangers in their own country because of the massive social changes. It will discuss why some have succeeded in reintegrating the radically transformed Mauritius, while others have failed.

Having myself failed to settle down when I was offered a part-time lectureship by the Univer-sity of Mauritius in 1997, I have tried to find out by questioning both settlers and failed settlers on the secrets that enabled some to settle down comfortably and the inadequacies that caused others to fail to do so.

For any first-generation immigrants, “home” has never been the country of migration, however long they have lived there and however well rewarded they have been for their efforts. This is a natural, gut-feeling tendency. First-generation Mau-ritian immigrants are no exception to this rule. The findings of my studies (Mauritian immigrants in Britain, 1987, and A comparative study of Mauritian immigrants in Paris and London, 1991, support this thesis, with 81% and 74% expressing a strong desire to go home one day. Now that many who emigrated in the 60s and early 70s, driven out by chronic unemployment and misgovernment, have retired, there has been an extra surge of energy to realise the dream of the return journey. Motivated by an irresistible wish to spend the final phase of their lives at home, many have invested thousands of pounds of their hard-earned savings in land, buildings and even businesses. Tormented by a desire to die at home, some, even those who clearly could not achieve this ultimate dream, have invested in land or house as if it were capable of making the impossible possible. They are the saddest cases. Their properties often appear in sale advertisements in the UK media, Mauritius News and Mauritians Abroad.

<B>The impact of social change</B>

It is fascinating to watch the struggle of long-established Mauritian immigrants to return home. It is equally mind-boggling to see the desperate effort by young Mauritians to make the reverse journey : emigrate anywhere (l’express, 6.1.05). Some are foolhardy and credulous, particularly those who come to the UK through unscrupulous agents and risk ruining their lives beyond what one can imagine.

Realising the dream of the return journey and reintegrating the home society after decades of living abroad are two opposite and different matters. Not keeping in touch with development in Mauritius, apart from brief holidays, ill-prepares prospective returnees. Poorly equipped to evaluate and internalise the scale of social change the island has undergone since they emigrated decades ago, their readaptation often becomes problematic and risk-taking. It calls for maximum social skills, often inadequate or non-existent. As a result, many have failed this reintegration. Mannick (Politics of change, 1989) says: “Mauritian culture has changed markedly with industrialisation… Prior to independence, the extended family and community were strong: now concerns and values are much more individualistic.”

Mauritian governments are no longer interested in or concerned about immigrants. In fact, some who have invested their hard-earned savings in Mauritius are harassed under the pretext of investigating money-laundering. One politically-conscious respondent comments: “They (the politicians) have forgotten how we got them off the hook in the 60s and 70s when corruption and mismanagement of the economy drove thousands of us into emigration and we sent money regularly to keep our families alive.”

Mauritius has changed beyond recognition in some areas. However, the desire to return home among early immigrants is still strong. The returnees or prospective returnees can be put into two categories: (i) Those committed to reintegrating their society at any cost and (ii) those who make an attempt or two to see if they can settle down. The latter are clearly half-hearted, undermined by anxiety and doubts as to their ability to re-adjust in the radically transformed Mauritius. The former, more aware of development at home and more committed to realising their dream, are invariably more successful.

I asked a few settled returnees the secret of their ability to readjust to the new Mauritius. The qualities that turned them into successful settlers are: awareness of the impact of social change in Mauritius; accepting the changes, cultural, political and others; adequate pensions to maintain their overseas standard of living; sufficient savings to make short visits to the UK whenever they wish to; sufficient funds to pay for private healthcare; and the ability to select their circle of relatives and friends with rigorous discretion.

<B>The failed returnees</B>

Immigrants, who have failed to settle down in Mauritius, do not possess the qualities required in this complex process of reintegration. Some appear poorly equipped, motivated by unrealistic and irrational expectations. They include people who have lost their partner and hope to overcome the painful feeling of loss in family support, a cultural value fast dissipating; divorcees or those in troubled relationships who return home for peace of mind, the sick and disabled who entertain the unrealistic idea that getting away from cold weather to the warmth of home and family support will bring relief; naïve and ill-prepared ones who, unaware of the spiralling cost of living, believe they can maintain their usual lifestyle with their retirement pension.

They are those who quickly return to London Heathrow after a few months, bitterly complaining about the social ills and never appreciating the good things the island offers. As re-adjustment to one’s society after years abroad is a psychologically complex issue, I have great sympathy for failed returnees, who have become classic examples of rootless people. Even when they return, they live in a state of limbo: pathologically unhappy, feeling neither here nor there.

Among immigrants who wish to return home one day, there is another group: a vibrant category of the university-educated with professional qualifications who are financially more secure. They are idealists/pragmatists who, dissatisfied with social conditions in Mauritius, feel the island can do better, with a leadership inspired by long-term vision to make it a better place for all. Aware of their inability to return now, they have decided to make the best of both worlds: keeping their feet firmly on the ground in both societies: British and Mauritian. Having a house in the UK and a beach bungalow or house in Mauritius, they travel to and fro following their fancies. Given the current situation in Mauritius and the indecisive state of mind of many first generation immigrants, I consider this compromise is the best solution.

It is the ultimate desire of all immigrants to return home as successful individuals to spend the final phase of their lives in relative comfort and happiness. Mauritian immigrants, especially the first generation, are not an exception. However, only a few can realise this dream. The changes during their long absence are the main factors in their failure to set down roots again. However, we cannot ignore the impact of values internalised while living in the countries of migration.

While a few returnees have managed to reintegrate their homeland by focusing on what is best for them, many have failed in their ill-prepared attempt to return home. The more successful have been more creative in developing a strategy enabling them to enjoy the best of the two societies. This group has made good use of the techniques of conflict resolution to overcome their emotional uncertainty and the psychological barriers in realising any immigrant’s ultimate dream: making a successful homeward journey.

<B>Dr Sam LINGAYAH</B>