Africa is commonly regarded as a "continent on the move" in scholarly observation and mass media reportage. Movement is seen primarily in the direction of Europe. Yet the public debate is characterized by two misconceptions. The first is that high population growth in Africa would almost automatically trigger higher international migration to the neighbouring European continent. There is even talk of a "rush to Europe". The second frequently encountered misconception is that migration and flight in and from Africa is primarily a result of poverty, violent conflicts and environmental degradation. Both are misconceptions that cannot be reconciled with the facts at hand. 

The effects of the intra-African and European deportation regimes brought about since the European Union's externalization of its migration and development policy by transferring it to countries of sub-Saharan Africa remain largely understudied - especially their effects on people's everyday life after forced returns. Based on extensive field research, Susanne U. Schultz's book analyses the supposedly "failed" migration of Malian men, the social situations in which they find themselves following deportation, and the implications of their "failure" for their social environment and broader society. This important ethnographic study creates empirical knowledge on key issues in migration research, policy, and practice in the context of a charged debate.