Assumptions and evidence on migration-development relations

Consideration of existing and potential migration-development links involves posing fundamental questions about the migrants, the nature of their movement, and the effects of migration on the socio-economic and political structures of source areas and destinations. In recent years, most concern has tended to revolve around the positive and negative impact of foreigners on the receiving societies. To the extent that a sending country perspective has been included, migrants from LDCs have often been viewed through the prism of concern about the migration problems they pose for the Western world due to rapid population growth, poverty and conflict in the source countries (for an elaboration of the latter relationship, see Collier, 2000). In the following we turn our gaze towards LDCs to review findings from conventional as well as transnational literature and indicate various migration-development prospects of migrant diasporas. Subsequently we review the literature linking remittances, development and relief.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions