By investigating the social development of a migrant enclave in the context of rapid economic development and circular migration, this paper builds upon recent work emphasising the co‐production of place by migrants and their hosts. In doing so, it introduces a longitudinal element to the analysis, highlighting that place in migrant enclaves is shaped by the interaction of not two forces – home and the host environment – but three: home, the non‐migrant environment, and the cultural and economic practices developed by existing migrants. This triangular lens also helps to shed light on the linkages between economic and social change in migrant enclaves, demonstrating that migrants' experience of economic development is not direct, but (re)negotiated between these competing influences over time. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.