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Migration Information Source Releases Special Issue on Migration and Development
June 1, 2003

Washington, DC (June 1, 2003) – Migration is often viewed as both a cause and a consequence of economic development. To further examine this oft-debated subject, the Migration Information Source releases a special issue, Migration and Development.

Recently, migration’s role in development has come under greater scrutiny as the economic heft of remittances outweighs other kinds of foreign aid. Due to growing numbers and varied trends in immigration – including the absolute loss of talent for some developing countries – an interest in “brain drain” has rekindled. There also is new evidence that transnational communities can promote local development in their home countries through their continued relationship.

“This special issue pulls together some of the best thinking on the twinned issues of migration and development. We look at the global picture as well as the varying impact of migration on countries and communities,” says Kimberly Hamilton, Managing Editor of the Source and Director of External Relations at the Migration Policy Institute. “At the end of the day, we still have an enormous amount to learn about the benefits as well as the real costs of migration for development and poverty alleviation.”

According to the United Nations, at least 185 million people worldwide currently live outside their countries of birth, up from 80 million three decades ago. The Migration Information Source special issue includes information on the impact of rich country policies on the prospects for poor country development, global remittance data, and the role of refugee diasporas and temporary migration on development.

“Experts on migration from around the world contributed to this special issue,” says Hamilton. “It is an invaluable tool for anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between migration and development.”

The special issue on migration and development can be accessed at http://www.migrationinformation.org. For more information, please contact Amy Mehringer, Communications Manager, at (202) 266-1910, amehringer@migrationpolicy.org.

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The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit think tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide. The institute (www.migrationpolicy.org) provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national, and international levels. It aims to meet the rising demand for pragmatic responses to the challenges and opportunities that migration presents in an ever more integrated world. The Source, MPI’s online publication, provides current and accurate data and analysis of immigration and refugee issues.