Lesson 4
Global Migration
Can migration contribute to development?
The relationship between patterns of international migration and socio -
economic development:
There is a close relationship between migration and development.
- 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
One statistical measure of international migration which is linked to
development is the value of migrant remittances. Remittances are
private funds sent by migrants usually to the non-migrant members of the
family. The financial framework for the
international transfer of this money is
being strengthened. Therefore, official
figures are increasingly accurate but in
reality, the amounts are much higher.
Remittances are of considerable
importance in the development process.
Migrant remittances to the more
advanced countries, with higher HDI, are a
low percentage of GDP. For LIDCs and
EDCs, remittances represent a high
proportion of GDP and therefore are of greater significance to their
economy and development e.g., in 2013 US$6.69 billion was sent by
migrants as remittances to the USA, less than 0.1% of GDP; India received
more than 10 times this amount, US$69.97 billion, 3.7% of GDP; and Haiti
received much less in absolute terms, US$1.78 billion, but this was 21.1%
of GDP.
Not all poor countries receive large migrant remittances. Potential
migrants from sub -Saharan Africa countries such as Sudan (HDI 0.473,
remittances only 0.6% of GDP ) are affected by restrictive immigration
policies of developed countries and costs of travel, including payment to
traffickers. Migrants often have to pay the recruitment companies/people
who found them their jobs e.g., Dubai workers sending money to
India/Bangladesh
Money received from migrants abroad can
be used to improve the standard of living of
people in LIDCs/EDCs – education, housing,
healthcare
Global Migration
Can migration contribute to development?
The relationship between patterns of international migration and socio -
economic development:
There is a close relationship between migration and development.
- 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
One statistical measure of international migration which is linked to
development is the value of migrant remittances. Remittances are
private funds sent by migrants usually to the non-migrant members of the
family. The financial framework for the
international transfer of this money is
being strengthened. Therefore, official
figures are increasingly accurate but in
reality, the amounts are much higher.
Remittances are of considerable
importance in the development process.
Migrant remittances to the more
advanced countries, with higher HDI, are a
low percentage of GDP. For LIDCs and
EDCs, remittances represent a high
proportion of GDP and therefore are of greater significance to their
economy and development e.g., in 2013 US$6.69 billion was sent by
migrants as remittances to the USA, less than 0.1% of GDP; India received
more than 10 times this amount, US$69.97 billion, 3.7% of GDP; and Haiti
received much less in absolute terms, US$1.78 billion, but this was 21.1%
of GDP.
Not all poor countries receive large migrant remittances. Potential
migrants from sub -Saharan Africa countries such as Sudan (HDI 0.473,
remittances only 0.6% of GDP ) are affected by restrictive immigration
policies of developed countries and costs of travel, including payment to
traffickers. Migrants often have to pay the recruitment companies/people
who found them their jobs e.g., Dubai workers sending money to
India/Bangladesh
Money received from migrants abroad can
be used to improve the standard of living of
people in LIDCs/EDCs – education, housing,
healthcare
