Categories: Stories

Two-thirds of Zimbabweans in the diaspora do not want to return home

Zimbabweans in the diaspora are reported to be flocking back to the country for the festive period but according to a recent Gallup World Poll, two-thirds of the Zimbabweans living outside the country have no intention of returning home.

A further 18 percent would rather move to another country than return to Zimbabwe.

Only 14 percent want to return home.

Zimbabwe is, however, better than most countries. The poll showed that 77 percent of migrants on average have no desire to return to their home countries. Only a mere 7 percent do.

Ninety percent of Greeks in the diaspora do not want to return to their country.

Apparently this does not seem to be a developing world problem as 87 percent of Britons do not want to return to their country too.

Saudi Arabia has the greatest number of migrants who want to return home at 30 percent, followed by Australia at 21 percent, Turkey 20 percent, Mali 16 percent, and the United States and France at 15 percent each.

Most countries, including Zimbabwe, would like nationals living abroad to return home to use their skills to develop their own country but this is likely to be an uphill struggle.

Some three to five million Zimbabweans are said to be in the diaspora with the majority being in South Africa.

Two-thirds of Zimbabweans in the diaspora do not want to return home

Zimbabweans in the diaspora are reported to be flocking back to the country for the festive period but according to a recent Gallup World Poll, two-thirds of the Zimbabweans living outside the country have no intention of returning home.

A further 18 percent would rather move to another country than return to Zimbabwe.

Only 14 percent want to return home.

Zimbabwe is, however, better than most countries. The poll showed that 77 percent of migrants on average have no desire to return to their home countries. Only a mere 7 percent do.

Ninety percent of Greeks in the diaspora do not want to return to their country.

Apparently this does not seem to be a developing world problem as 87 percent of Britons do not want to return to their country too.

Saudi Arabia has the greatest number of migrants who want to return home at 30 percent, followed by Australia at 21 percent, Turkey 20 percent, Mali 16 percent, and the United States and France at 15 percent each.

Most countries, including Zimbabwe, would like nationals living abroad to return home to use their skills to develop their own country but this is likely to be an uphill struggle.

Some three to five million Zimbabweans are said to be in the diaspora with the majority being in South Africa.

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Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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