E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
Migration & Development

Migration & Development

_DevelopmentImpacts

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

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Nicholas Van Hear of the Institute for International Studies presents some of the distinct features of refugee diasporas, as well as their impact on development policy.

The Source presents three tables ranking countries around the world by total remittances received, by remittances per capita, and by remittances per GDP, based on the latest International Monetary Fund data.

Migration and development are high on the international agenda, and Sharon Stanton Russell of MIT highlights emerging features of the policy debate.

Director of the Pew Hispanic Center, Roberto Suro, looks at how the flagging U.S. economy has not kept Latino immigrants from sending money back to their homelands.

Will President Putin realize his dream of a mass return of the Russian diaspora? Timothy Heleniak of the World Bank and Georgetown University's Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies assesses Russia's migration dilemma.

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Recent Activity

Policy Briefs
July 2015

Irregular maritime migration across the Bay of Bengal to Southeast Asia entered a period of crisis in spring 2015 as a wave of migrants and refugees crossed, most departing from ports in Myanmar and Bangladesh, with many facing critical danger along the way. This MPI-IOM Issue in Brief puts the crisis into context and offers a consideration of what recent history has to teach about responses to maritime migration crises.

Articles
Even as Nepal will lean more heavily on its international diaspora to help recover from devastating earthquakes that killed thousands and decimated parts of the country, the disasters have had effects on internal migration. Class and gender dynamics have long driven significant internal flows. This feature article explores migration trends in Nepal, including movement between ecological zones, growing urbanization, and the feminization of an increasingly mobile workforce.
Reports
June 2015

MPI's Transatlantic Council on Migration convened its thirteenth plenary meeting to propose innovative solutions to address the increasing strains on the global protection system amid huge displacement. This Council Statement highlights the need for national governments and international actors to respond proactively to rising displacement and to look beyond the care-and-maintenance model of protection and help the long-term displaced find their economic and social footing.

Articles

With a history of encouraging workers to emigrate to relieve unemployment at home, Tunisia now has 11 percent of its population living abroad. The factors underlying the 2011 revolution that sparked the Arab Spring have also fueled emigration desires for many Tunisians. This country profile explores historical and current trends in Tunisia from colonial settlement to the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and the new focus on migrant rights at home and abroad.

Reports
May 2015
There has been growing international recognition that continued movement and migration often play an important role in shaping refugees' lives after their initial flight. This report considers the extent to which labor migration is being used—or could be used in the future—to strengthen the international refugee protection regime and facilitate durable solutions for more refugees, many of whom have been displaced for many years.
Articles
Though relatively unexplored, there are myriad links between migration and corruption. This article offers ten connections between migration and corruption, from the facilitation of illegal migration and humanitarian protection to impediments to development benefits. The migration-corruption nexus is examined in three case studies: human trafficking in Nigeria, police extortion in Latin America, and a Norwegian return scheme for Iraqi asylum seekers.
Policy Briefs
May 2015

The majority of the 51 million people displaced in the world today are in protracted situations, forcing them to live in limbo for years. This policy brief by the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees argues for long-term development solutions and a new narrative that emphasizes refugees' potential to contribute to host and origin communities through their own human capital, transnational connections, and dedicated international assistance.

Reports
May 2015
Today's refugee protection regime, established in the aftermath of World War II, is ill-equipped to meet the protection needs of contemporary displacement situations. This report explores the main sources of strain on the existing system of protection, and examines the two most promising avenues for strengthening the system: development- and mobility-focused approaches.

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