Flows of ideas
Social norms, such as equality and democracy, are acquired by migrants who go to a country with different views. When they return home, they implement these social norms- this can stabilise their home country when they return
Flows of money
Migrant remittances allow people, from a poorer source country, to send money home from the richer, destination country in which they are working. This helps improve the economy of the source country. For example, 28.8% of the Nepalese economy comes from migrant remittances
Flows of people
Migrants can fill jobs in the destination country that the locals do not want to do. This fills important jobs in that destination country. This can also allow migrants to acquire skills and knowledge which they can bring home and apply. Furthermore, working migrants will pay income tax to the destination country, thus improving the economy of both the destination country, with tax, and the source country, with remittances
Flows of technology
The Pakistani government is able to track people via an app, so that they can support their development and economic growth
How can global migration promote stability?
- Migrant remittances are a source of foreign exchange which can contribute to economic stability of the recipient country
- Returning migrants, having acquired new ideas and values including democracy and equality, can contribute to peacebuilding and conflict resolution
- Where there is ageing population, youthful migrant working populations contribute to a more balanced age structure and population growth
How can global migration promote economic growth?
- The GDP and tax base of the host nation can be boosted by working migrants
- Migrants as consumers themselves can stimulate local economies in a host country, even opening up new markets in demand for food, clothing, music etc.
- Migrants can fill skills gaps and shortages in the labour market of a host country at local and national scales
- Migrant remittances can supplement household income, stimulate consumption, provide funds for local investment, and stimulate local multiplier effects in the country of origin of the migrants
How can global migration promote development?
- Skills and knowledge acquired by returning migrants can be of benefit to countries of origin
- Migrants can create networks which ease flows of skills, financial resources, values and ideas through their links to diaspora associations including professional, business, social and religious networks
- UN “migration and development” projects between partner countries are involving families, local authorities, and public and private service providers in effective “bottom-up” approaches to development
How can global migration cause inequalities?
- Countries of origin lose a proportion of the young, vibrant and fittest element of the labour force; this may contribute to a downward economic spiral at local, regional and national scales
- Often, it is the better educated that migrate; this represents a “brain drain” and loss of human resources in the country of origin
- The demographic selectiveness of international migration causes redistribution of population of reproductive age; this influences crude birth rates in countries of origin (decline) and destination (growth)
- Migrant remittances can increase inequality between families who receive them and those who do not
How can global migration cause conflicts?
- Social conflict can develop between host communities and “newcomers”: people of a particular culture or ethnic origin my find difficulty integrating, perhaps because of language
- Immigrant populations, especially if concentrated in specific areas, can place pressure on service provision such as education, health and housing in the host country
- International borders can be areas of conflict for border control authorities, traffickers and illegal migrants
How can global migration cause injustices?
- Migrants are vulnerable to violation of their human rights as a result of forced labour, exploitation of women and children, and human trafficking
- Treatment of asylum seekers can include being held in detention centres, not being allowed to work, and being supported on meagre financial resources for food, sanitation and clothing for the duration of application
- The plight of refugees in terms of shelter, food, water, medicines and safety, including possibility of return to country of origin where risks are high
Areas of potential conflict and injustice are exemplified by…
- Reported human rights violations in detention camps for Myanmar refugees on the Thai-Malaysian border
- The new fence and high-tech surveillance at the Bulgaria-Turkey border
- The refugee camp and channel tunnel at Calais. Another camp, “the jungle” outside Calais contained over 3000 migrants in February 2016 (mostly unaccompanied young males)
There is a close relationship between migration and development because…
- Migration can contribute significantly to development; it can be a positive process for stability, economic growth and socio-economic change
- Inequalities in levels of development can be a cause of migration; this has a major influence on the direction and scale of global migrant flows
