Mapping the development impacts of migration

Article

Despite considerable interest in the relationship between migration and development, there have been relatively few attempts to map the various development impacts that migration can have on a country. This paper presents a new framework for mapping these impacts, focusing particularly on developing countries that send migrants.

Despite considerable interest in the relationship between migration and development, there have been relatively few attempts to map the various development impacts that migration can have on a country. This paper presents a new framework for mapping these impacts, focusing particularly on developing countries that send migrants. Drawing on two closely related definitions of development (the capabilities approach and the sustainable livelihoods approach), the paper suggests that migration can shape social and economic development in eight dimensions: economic impacts, educational impacts, health impacts, gender impacts, wider social impacts, governance impacts, environmental sustainability and disaster relief.

The paper also lists more than 30 mechanisms through which impacts can occur and surveys the possible implications of each.

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