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

Felipe Aliaga-Sáez (), David Alberto García-Arango, Yvonne Riaño, Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre and David Betancur-Betancur
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Felipe Aliaga-Sáez: Facultad de Sociología, Universidad Santo Tomás, 1, Bogotá 110311, Colombia
David Alberto García-Arango: Dirección de Investigación e Innovación, Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Villa El Salvador, Lima 15842, Peru
Yvonne Riaño: Institute of Geography, University of Neuchatel, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre: Dirección de Investigación Corporación Universitaria Adventista, Medellín 050031, Colombia
David Betancur-Betancur: GIZ Colombia, Consultant, Calle 125 #19-24, Bogotá 110111, Colombia

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-22

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: migration; return; entrepreneurship; Germany; Colombia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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