E.g., 04/24/2024
E.g., 04/24/2024
Diaspora Engagement

Diaspora Engagement

Governments at both ends of the migration cycle increasingly recognize the value that diaspora populations bring to development efforts and are seeking ways to magnify the human capital and financial resources that emigrants and their descendants contribute to development in their countries of origin. Beyond the remittances they generate, diaspora members fulfill a key development role in their countries of origin: as major direct investors in critical and emerging industries, generous philanthropists and first movers in the growth of important sectors such as tourism, and in the development of human capital.

 

Recent Activity

The flags of the United States and Canada.
Articles
June 15, 2021
Canadian Immigrants in the United States
By Emma Israel and Jeanne Batalova
Photo of computer lab at the Jugaani village school in Georgia
Commentaries
June 2021
Achieving the “Partnership” in the European Union’s Talent Partnerships
By  Kate Hooper
Multimedia
April 22, 2021
Missing Ingredients in Diaspora Engagement in Development: Destination-Country Policies and Integration
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Multimedia
April 2, 2021
The Benefits of Climate Migration
Arrivals from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, depart a train in Moscow.
Articles
February 3, 2021
The Eurasian Economic Union: Repaving Central Asia’s Road to Russia?
By Oybek Madiyev
New Approaches to Climate Change and Migration: Building the Adaptive Capacity of Mobile Populations
Reports
December 2020
New Approaches to Climate Change and Migration: Building the Adaptive Capacity of Mobile Populations
By  Carol Farbotko
thailand flooding climate migration
Articles
December 3, 2020
Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand
By Patrick Sakdapolrak and Harald Sterly
2020 IOM MuseMohammad Border area of Haquillas is home to several Venezuelans
Multimedia
October 27, 2020
Un Diálogo con Miembros de Coalición por Venezuela

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Books
July 2013
How Can Talent Abroad Induce Development at Home? Towards a Pragmatic Diaspora Agenda
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Policy Briefs
November 2012
Engaging the Asian Diaspora
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Books
June 2012
Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development: A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners in Home and Host Countries
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Books
April 2012
Hoja de ruta para la participación de las diásporas en el desarrollo: Un manual para políticos y profesionales de los países de origen y de acogida
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Books
April 2012
Comment associer les diasporas au développement: Manuel a l’usage des decideurs et praticiens dans les pays d’origine et d’accueil
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Books
November 2010
Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy
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Reports
November 2010
Voice After Exit: Diaspora Advocacy
By  Kathleen Newland
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Reports
October 2010
Mobilizing Diaspora Entrepreneurship for Development
By  Kathleen Newland

Pages

Arrivals from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, depart a train in Moscow.
Feature
February 3, 2021
The Eurasian Economic Union: Repaving Central Asia’s Road to Russia?

In recent decades Russia has been increasingly reliant on Central Asian migrant workers. Those workers, in turn, have sent back remittances that have been crucial for their countries of origin. Since 2015, many of these ex-Soviet countries have come together in the Eurasian Economic Union to solidify their bonds and ease migrants' passage to Russia. This article explores the bloc and how it reflects Russia's role in the region.

thailand flooding climate migration
Feature
December 3, 2020
Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand

Migration can help build resilience against the encroaching effects of climate change. Instead of being passive victims of environmental degradation, individuals sometimes move to gain money, knowledge, and skills that can fortify their household of origin. Migrant workers from Thailand demonstrate how and under what conditions this process works.

Indian New Jersey
Spotlight
October 16, 2020
Indian Immigrants in the United States

There are 2.7 million Indian immigrants in the United States, making them the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans. This number has increased dramatically in recent years, growing 13-fold between 1980 and 2019. This article provides an overview of this population, which is more highly educated, more likely to work in management positions, and higher-earning than the U.S. born and overall immigrant population.

The National Museum of History in Tirana, Albania features a large mosaic with nationalist imagery.
Feature
August 25, 2020
Southeastern Europe Looks to Engage its Diaspora to Offset the Impact of Depopulation

Southeastern Europe is experiencing one of the sharpest depopulations in the world, with countries such as Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia on pace to see their populations shrink by at least 15 percent in coming decades. To counter this trend, governments in the region, NGOs, and the private sector are increasingly, if unevenly, tapping into large diaspora communities to spur economic growth and strengthen cultural ties.

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Profile
August 19, 2020
Haiti’s Painful Evolution from Promised Land to Migrant-Sending Nation

For more than a century, Haiti was considered a prime destination for migrants from the United States and around the world. In the wake of the Haitian Revolution, Haiti marketed itself to freed slaves and others as an island haven where they could break free from the strictures of the United States and a global system of slavery. That changed in the 20th century. Now, there are roughly 1.6 million Haitians living in other countries.

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Video
November 30, 2010

Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy

Over the past year, MPI has partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to examine how diasporas contribute to – or detract from - development efforts in their countries of origin. MPI and USAID have published an edited volume of the research. Please join us for the release of the book where speakers will discuss new thinking on the role of diaspora engagement in U.S. foreign and development policy.

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Recent Activity

Articles
October 4, 2018

It Takes a Village: Despite Challenges, Migrant Groups Lead Development in Senegal

For generations, migrants have emigrated from Senegal, particularly from in and around the Senegal River Valley. With France a key destination, French policy changes have had significant impact on Senegalese migrants and the hometown associations through which they support development in Senegal. This article explores how these policy shifts influence development and quality of life in the Senegal River Valley.

Articles
September 19, 2018

Indonesia: A Country Grappling with Migrant Protection at Home and Abroad

Indonesia, which has a long history as a major origin for migrant labor in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, more recently has reluctantly found itself a transit and destination country, including for asylum seekers. Still, policymakers remain focused on protection of its nationals abroad rather than on assuring the status of Chinese and other foreigners in the country. This country profile explores Indonesia's rich migration history. 

 

Policy Briefs
September 2018

Reimagining Skilled Migration Partnerships to Support Development

While partnerships to facilitate skilled migration have had mixed success in the past, the Global Compact for Migration is advancing a new approach that may change this. This policy brief compares this new partnership model with the traditional one, highlighting the questions policymakers will need to answer if they are to encourage mobility, sustain employer engagement, and see development benefits in countries of origin.

Articles
August 8, 2018

Egypt: Migration and Diaspora Politics in an Emerging Transit Country

From being a source of labor emigration to the Gulf region to a destination for refugees from Syria, sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere, Egypt has long experienced different forms of mobility. This article, which profiles the trends and policies that have shaped Egypt's migration history, focuses on its long-standing use of migration as a soft-power tool to achieve its foreign policy aims and as a safety valve for political discontent.

Articles
July 12, 2017

The Philippines: Beyond Labor Migration, Toward Development and (Possibly) Return

In the Philippines, a pervasive culture of migration has led millions to seek opportunities abroad, particularly since an economic downturn in the 1970s. The government has long embraced exporting labor as official economic policy, but over time, the focus has shifted: first to protecting workers overseas and much more recently to linking migration and development. This article explores the evolution of Filipino migration policy and trends.

Articles
June 14, 2017

Amid Economic Crisis and Political Turmoil, Venezuelans Form a New Exodus

Record number of Venezuelans are emigrating to escape the country's economic mismanagement, insecurity, and shortages. This article examines the causes of the current crisis and draws from a study of thousands of Venezuelans abroad to examine who is leaving, where they have headed, and what their hopes are for the future of Venezuela. It also scopes future opportunities for diaspora engagement.

Articles
January 18, 2017

Labor Migration from Myanmar: Remittances, Reforms, and Challenges

Having emerged from a long era of military rule, Myanmar's leaders and many citizens are looking outward. In particular, with Burmese labor migration abroad on the rise, policymakers are examining ways in which to harness remittances as a vehicle for economic development, particularly in impoverished rural areas. This article explores Burmese labor migration flows, financial reforms, and challenges on migration and development.

Articles
December 6, 2016

On the Brink of Demographic Crisis, Governments in East Asia Turn Slowly to Immigration

With many countries in East Asia facing unfavorable demographic shifts in the form of aging populations, low fertility, and shrinking workforces, governments in 2016 continued to explore immigration as a potential policy solution. However, a tradition of cultural homogeneity and wariness among publics about increased immigration is leading policymakers to test the waters with very small steps.

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