Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations

There is scant literature on migrants with an entrepreneurial background and who return to their country of origin. Using a transnational theoretical approach, we seek to contribute to research in this field by analysing the return strategies and expectations of Colombian migrant entrepreneurs parti...

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Main Authors: Felipe Aliaga-Sáez, David Alberto García-Arango, Yvonne Riaño, Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre, David Betancur-Betancur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Social Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/305
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author Felipe Aliaga-Sáez
David Alberto García-Arango
Yvonne Riaño
Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre
David Betancur-Betancur
author_facet Felipe Aliaga-Sáez
David Alberto García-Arango
Yvonne Riaño
Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre
David Betancur-Betancur
author_sort Felipe Aliaga-Sáez
collection DOAJ
description There is scant literature on migrants with an entrepreneurial background and who return to their country of origin. Using a transnational theoretical approach, we seek to contribute to research in this field by analysing the return strategies and expectations of Colombian migrant entrepreneurs participating in the Programme Migration and Diaspora (PMD). This programme is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Society for International Cooperation, Eschborn, Germany) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ, Berlin, Germany). To this end, a mixed-methods study was conducted. Likert scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were applied to twenty-seven entrepreneurs participating in the programme, analysing quantitative and qualitative variables. Migrants seek to contribute to Colombia’s development through entrepreneurship, looking for various commercial connections for which security and planning conditions are necessary. They see entrepreneurship as sustenance, which in most cases results in transnational links between Germany and Colombia. For that to happen, contacts and acquired experiences are fundamental, as well as tangible and intangible resources, amongst which the information and support for entrepreneurship granted by GIZ stand out. Generally, it is essential to continue strengthening differentiated and comprehensive support strategies for all types of migrant entrepreneurs in destination countries.
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spelling doaj-art-b27a1a747d32435aa3e7a3f104d9f8bd2025-08-20T03:12:12ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-05-0114530510.3390/socsci14050305Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and ExpectationsFelipe Aliaga-Sáez0David Alberto García-Arango1Yvonne Riaño2Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre3David Betancur-Betancur4Facultad de Sociología, Universidad Santo Tomás, 1, Bogotá 110311, ColombiaDirección de Investigación e Innovación, Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Villa El Salvador, Lima 15842, PeruInstitute of Geography, University of Neuchatel, 2000 Neuchatel, SwitzerlandDirección de Investigación Corporación Universitaria Adventista, Medellín 050031, ColombiaGIZ Colombia, Consultant, Calle 125 #19-24, Bogotá 110111, ColombiaThere is scant literature on migrants with an entrepreneurial background and who return to their country of origin. Using a transnational theoretical approach, we seek to contribute to research in this field by analysing the return strategies and expectations of Colombian migrant entrepreneurs participating in the Programme Migration and Diaspora (PMD). This programme is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Society for International Cooperation, Eschborn, Germany) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ, Berlin, Germany). To this end, a mixed-methods study was conducted. Likert scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were applied to twenty-seven entrepreneurs participating in the programme, analysing quantitative and qualitative variables. Migrants seek to contribute to Colombia’s development through entrepreneurship, looking for various commercial connections for which security and planning conditions are necessary. They see entrepreneurship as sustenance, which in most cases results in transnational links between Germany and Colombia. For that to happen, contacts and acquired experiences are fundamental, as well as tangible and intangible resources, amongst which the information and support for entrepreneurship granted by GIZ stand out. Generally, it is essential to continue strengthening differentiated and comprehensive support strategies for all types of migrant entrepreneurs in destination countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/305migrationreturnentrepreneurshipGermanyColombia
spellingShingle Felipe Aliaga-Sáez
David Alberto García-Arango
Yvonne Riaño
Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre
David Betancur-Betancur
Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
Social Sciences
migration
return
entrepreneurship
Germany
Colombia
title Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
title_full Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
title_fullStr Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
title_full_unstemmed Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
title_short Migrant Entrepreneurs Between Colombia and Germany: Return, Strategies, and Expectations
title_sort migrant entrepreneurs between colombia and germany return strategies and expectations
topic migration
return
entrepreneurship
Germany
Colombia
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/305
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AT yvonneriano migrantentrepreneursbetweencolombiaandgermanyreturnstrategiesandexpectations
AT jovanysepulvedaaguirre migrantentrepreneursbetweencolombiaandgermanyreturnstrategiesandexpectations
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