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Migration & Development

Migration & Development

Brain Drain & Brain Gain
Circular Migration
Climate Change
Development Impacts
Diaspora Engagement
Remittances
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Governments, development specialists, and others have rediscovered the connections between migration and development. Yet while increasing volumes of research have focused on the actual and potential contributions of migrant communities to sustainable development or poverty reduction in their countries of origin, the findings have not been systematically translated into policy guidance. One result is that little coherence is to be found between the development and migration policies of governments in countries of destination and origin—a reality that the research offered here seeks to address.

Recent Activity

How Will International Migration Policy and Sustainable Development Affect Future Climate-Related Migration?
Reports
December 2020
How Will International Migration Policy and Sustainable Development Affect Future Climate-Related Migration?
By  Robert McLeman
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
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Policy Briefs
December 2020
The Divergent Trajectories of the Global Migration and Refugee Compacts: Implementation amid Crisis
By  Lena Kainz, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Kathleen Newland
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Reports
December 2020
Construcción de un nuevo sistema migratorio regional: Redefiniendo la cooperación entre Estados Unidos con México y Centroamérica
By  Andrew Selee and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
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Articles
December 3, 2020
Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand
By Patrick Sakdapolrak and Harald Sterly
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Multimedia
November 25, 2020
Changing Climate, Changing Migration: One Billion Climate Migrants? Not So Fast
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Reports
November 2020
Building a New Regional Migration System: Redefining U.S. Cooperation with Mexico and Central America
By  Andrew Selee and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
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Multimedia
November 17, 2020
Changing Climate, Changing Migration: Does Climate Change Cause Migration? It’s Complicated

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Policy Briefs
September 2013
The Impact of Remittances on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction
By  Dilip Ratha
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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
May 2013
Migration and Environmental Change: Assessing the Developing European Approach
By  Andrew Geddes and Will Somerville
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Policy Briefs
November 2012
Engaging the Asian Diaspora
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Policy Briefs
October 2012
Thailand at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities in Leveraging Migration for Development
By  Jerry Huguet, Aphichat Chamratrithirong and Claudia Natali
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Policy Briefs
September 2012
Strengthening Pre-Departure Orientation Programmes in Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines
By  Maruja M.B. Asis and Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza
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Reports
August 2012
Central American Development: Two Decades of Progress and Challenges for the Future
By  Hugo Beteta
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Reports
August 2012
Understanding Mexico's Economic Underperformance
By  Gordon H. Hanson

Pages

SalvadoranKids FAO AMEXCID Flickr
Profile
August 29, 2018
El Salvador: Civil War, Natural Disasters, and Gang Violence Drive Migration

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America yet the most densely populated. A stagnant economy, high levels of crime and violence, and natural disasters have pushed growing numbers of people to migrate without authorization or seek asylum abroad, mostly in the United States. This article explores historical and contemporary emigration from El Salvador.

Egyptians in Los Angeles
Profile
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.

Rising sea levels threaten Pacific Islands
Feature
June 13, 2018
No Retreat: Climate Change and Voluntary Immobility in the Pacific Islands

While media and academic discussions of "climate refugees" paint a picture of mass displacement of millions, in reality many communities vulnerable to climate change may choose to stay as a result of strong cultural, historical, and spiritual attachments to place. This article explores this "voluntary immobility" and its implications in the Pacific Islands.

AfghanRefugees ZsuzsannaGal UNHCR
Top Ten
December 12, 2017
Increased Focus on Forced Return of Migrants and Asylum Seekers Puts Many in Peril

Governments on the receiving end of migrants and refugees reinforced their commitment to returns in 2017, sending or coercing migrants to move back to impoverished or violent homelands. The Dominican Republic pushed out some 70,000 Haitians and native born of Haitian descent, while more than 500,000 Afghans left Iran and Pakistan. Though many of these migrants chose to return, in practice the line between forced and voluntary returns is blurry.

South Sudanese child
Feature
October 24, 2017
Spiraling Violence and Drought Drive Refugee Crisis in South Sudan

Nearly 4 million South Sudanese have been driven from their homes by violence or food insecurity since late 2013, roughly half seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Drought and conflict have converged in the young country to fuel one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies. This article examines refugee flows from South Sudan, underlying drivers, and regional and international responses to the crisis.

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Audio
September 18, 2013

Preparing for the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development

The Chair of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, along with the Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for International Migration discuss what is expected from The UN High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in October 2013 and what impact it may have on the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

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Audio
September 17, 2013

Engaging Diaspora Talent: How Countries Can Integrate their Diaspora and Development Agendas

Diaspora engagement has become a key and accepted component in the arsenal of development strategies. The question of how to effectively and efficiently harness the force of a country’s diaspora through government intervention and policy remains one that many governments and international organizations must grapple with.

MPI event two panelists speaking
Audio
August 30, 2012

Regulating Private Recruitment in the Asia-Middle East Labour Migration Corridor

This joint Migration Policy Institute and International Organization for Migration event marks the Issue brief launch of Regulating Private Recruitment in the Asia-Middle East Labour Migration Corridor.

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Video
July 25, 2012

U.S. Secretary of State’s Global Diaspora Forum: Moving Forward by Giving Back

The 2012 Global Diaspora Forum challenged diaspora communities to forge partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and public institutions in order to make their engagements with their countries of origin or ancestry effective, scalable, and sustainable.

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Video, Audio
July 11, 2012

MPI/IOM Panel Discussion and Asia-Pacific Launch of Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development

A discussion with Dr. Noppawan Tanpipat, Vice President, National Science and Technology Development Agency; Frank Laczko, Head, Migration Research Division, IOM; Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, Regional Research Officer, IOM, and Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute (MPI); and Kathleen Newland, Director of Migrants, Migration, and Development, Migration Policy Institute (MPI).

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Recent Activity

Reports
December 2020

How Will International Migration Policy and Sustainable Development Affect Future Climate-Related Migration?

Climate change is likely to increase the intensity of extreme-weather events already shaping human mobility and displacement. The nature, scale, and direction of future climate-related migration will depend on many factors. This report takes stock of the influence that different combinations of migration, development, and climate policies could have on migration in regions around the world for the 2020-2050 and 2050-2100 periods, using a first-of-its-kind systematic exercise.

Reports
December 2020

New Approaches to Climate Change and Migration: Building the Adaptive Capacity of Mobile Populations

The link between climate change and migration is a complex one. Whether individuals move or stay in place can be voluntary or involuntary, a proactive strategy or last resort, and is part of a bigger story of global mobility and personal networks. This report examines this complicated relationship, highlights limitations of climate response measures to date, and presents an alternative, flexible approach based on the involvement of affected communities.

Policy Briefs
December 2020

The Divergent Trajectories of the Global Migration and Refugee Compacts: Implementation amid Crisis

National governments and UN agencies have been working to implement the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. Where has the most progress been made as the compacts hit the two-year mark? And how has the process played out differently for the two pacts? This policy brief explores these questions, the growing divergence between the pacts, and how challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic are shaping implementation.

Reports
December 2020

Construcción de un nuevo sistema migratorio regional: Redefiniendo la cooperación entre Estados Unidos con México y Centroamérica

Un desafío y una oportunidad clave que enfrentará la administración de Joe Biden será cómo abordar la cooperación regional en relación a la migración. Este informe explora la evolución de la movilidad entre los Estados Unidos, México y Centroamérica y presenta una estrategia para ampliar las oportunidades en cuanto a la migración legal, abordar necesidades humanitarias, fortalecer la aplicación de la ley y mitigar algunas de las fuerzas que provocan la emigración.

Articles
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.

Expert Q&A, Audio
November 25, 2020

Changing Climate, Changing Migration: One Billion Climate Migrants? Not So Fast

There are a lot of predictions about how many people will migrate in response to climate change. Depending on where you look, the next few decades could see hundreds of millions – or even more than a billion – people pick up and move. We asked Julia Blocher, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, to explain why the predictions vary so much. We also discussed how this movement can lead to conflict.

Reports
November 2020

Building a New Regional Migration System: Redefining U.S. Cooperation with Mexico and Central America

Addressing regional cooperation around migration will be among the immigration challenges and opportunities facing the incoming Biden administration. This report examines how movement between the United States, Mexico, and Central America has evolved in recent decades, and lays out a four-part strategy to expand opportunities for legal migration, address humanitarian protection needs, improve enforcement, and mitigate some of the forces driving people to emigrate.

Expert Q&A, Audio
November 17, 2020

Changing Climate, Changing Migration: Does Climate Change Cause Migration? It’s Complicated

The relationship between climate change and migration is long and complex. Human civilizations have been affected by environmental conditions for centuries, but we should be wary of arguments that huge numbers of people are inevitably destined to migrate in response to specific climate threats. In this episode of Changing Climate, Changing Migration, we chat with Alex de Sherbinin of Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network about what the research shows—and does not show.

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