One of the world’s leading migration think tanks; The Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC has published research conducted by Dr Hein de Haas, a Fellow of the James Martin School.
Dr de Haas and his colleague Simona Vezzoli who are based at the International Migration Institute (IMI) argue that both sending and receiving states have a crucial role to play in ensuring that migration has positive development impacts.
Their study used an innovative series of exchange visits between Mexico and Morocco to investigate the factors that influence migration’s effect on development. With about 10 per cent of Moroccan and Mexican citizens living abroad, remittances have become a vital source of income and poverty alleviation for both countries.
Dr Hein de Haas:
“It is great to see that our work on migration and development is getting recognition and exposure among decision makers. We hope this will raise awareness that migration and remittances have the potential to boost development in origin countries. It is, however, vital that policy makers realise this will only work if governments create a favourable investment climate and do not impose severe restrictions on movement. “
Dr de Haas and Dr Vezzoli not only explored how migration has affected development but also ways to reframe the migration-development debate. The article also showcases research that builds upon IMI's previous work, the Bellagio Dialogue on Migration and development challenges.