After seven years in Ireland, the best part about returning to China for Mei Xing was reuniting with her young son. He had been living with her parents while she studied and looked for work, unable to visit her family.

Mei Xing had moved to Ireland in 2005 to learn English, hoping that it would help her career. In 2012, however, she was unable to pay her school fees and her student visa expired. “I had to return to look after my child, and I had no work for a long time in Ireland. Not having a visa makes it very hard to find a job.” With no support in Ireland, she applied for IOM assistance to make it possible for her return to China.

Mei Xing then moved in with her parents and her son, but she worried about her job prospects. She applied to IOM for a reintegration grant that would pay for her to get her driving licence. “I could not think of another activity. Learning driving was the obvious option. Driving is an essential skill.”

Mei Xing later spoke with a staff member at IOM Ireland about the difficulties she had faced during her first six months in China. Although she found more opportunities for work, Mei Xing was not able to earn as much as she had in Ireland. When asked if she felt settled in China, she replied, “I feel half and half. It has not been easy since I returned to China, but life was also very difficult in Ireland.”

Mei Xing is confident her driver’s license will help her find a job. Until then, she is spending time with her family and reconnecting with her son.