Researchers and development practitioners have an interest in the relationship between land and rural livelihoods. In this context, agricultural land is being increasingly lost because of developing industrialization in the provinces of Vietnam. The livelihoods of people, whose land is appropriated, are affected. Therefore, this article investigates the impact of land acquisition and compensation on the labor and income of people when the State acquires their land to construct Industrial park projects. For the research methods, secondary data from select governmental agencies were gathered, and 50 households were interviewed to collect primary data. The results of this research indicated that although household livelihoods have been reconstructed after land acquisition, many issues are also emerging that may challenge equitable and sustainable development. These include a high proportion of households with insufficient employment, as well as those that are spending compensation money in ways that do not generate income.

The process of transitioning from a rural to an urban setting and from an agricultural to an industrial economy is referred to as urbanization, a complex socioeconomic process. Peri-urbanization is very common in Vietnam, and urban centers are expanding into rural areas. However, there is frequently insufficient infrastructure to support such development. As a result of the restricted availability of land, urbanization frequently necessitates the acquisition of agricultural property by the state in order to encourage development. In this study, we compare land acquisition and compensation policies with post-acquisition livelihoods in Vietnam across urban strata. The study sites are urban regions of Hanoi, Danang, and Vinh. We collected qualitative and quantitative data via 370 questionnaires and 30 interviews. Our results indicate that policy implementation was lower in larger cities, but the post-acquisition employment of affected households followed the opposite trend. In all three locations, most households used compensation money to repay debt, repair or purchase assets such as homes and personal modes of transportation, and invest in future generations. After acquisition, Danang experienced a decline in their quality of life, as measured by their savings and their level of perceived comfort, whereas the other two cities saw an increase. Only Hanoi reported a higher level of post-acquisition life satisfaction. Post-acquisition livelihood is influenced in some way by each of the five variables that make up the sustainable livelihood model: natural, human, physical, social, and financial capital.

East–West migration has become a dominant spatial phenomenon in Europe since the step-by-step enlargement of the EU, posing considerable socio-economic and demographic challenges for sending countries. However, little is known about the geopolitics and motivations that inspire a return to the country of origin. The objective of this article is to identify the motivations for emigration, adaptation experiences and decisions of Hungarian migrants who worked in the West for a period of time and returned to Hungary, based on their skills and family status before their return. The research is based on in-depth interviews with 48 returnees and builds on the cultural identity model and the notion of ontological security. The study demonstrates the growing role of geopolitics in return migration, although its relevance differs in various groups, with clear distinctions between the high- and low-skilled migrants. The role of family as a geopolitical unit is increasing; factors like their endeavour to hold the family together, fear of children’s assimilation, loss of identity and uncertainty while abroad are important in shaping decisions to return. On the other hand, schemes to enhance the return migration of the highly skilled also build on geopolitical and nationalistic rhetoric, which appear to target experiences of ontological (in)security among migrants.