GAPs aims to decentre the dominant, one-sided understanding of ‘return policymaking’ by bringing multiple perspectives into play and studying the complex interaction of diverse actors (including migrants themselves) involved in the return processes; scrutinizing gaps and shortcomings in the governance of returns, with both its internal and external dimensions; and devoting specific attention to the study of practices.

GAPs is a comprehensive study on the drivers of return policies and barriers/enablers in international cooperation on returns. The project examines the disconnects between expectations of return policies and their actual outcomes by de-centering the dominant, one-sided understanding of “return policymaking.”

Duration: 2023 – 2026

Funding: EU Horizon Europe Research Programme 

Principal Investigator(s): George Kandylis, Eva Papatzani

Research Team: Panos Hatziprokopiou, Katerina Komita, Penny (Panagiota) Koutrolikou, Timokleia Psallidaki, Angelo Tramountanis, Christina Varouxi, Katerina Vezyrgianni

Homepage: https://www.returnmigration.eu/ 

Deliverables: https://www.returnmigration.eu/countries_greece