Migration and Development (2005)

This workshop formed part of the series of IOM's International Dialogue on Migration inter-sessional workshops, which provide a forum for governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to discuss topical policy issues in depth. The overall objective of the workshop was to examine why migration should be considered a development issue, to look at the synergies and points of contact between migration and development agendas and how migration can be mainstreamed into development policy agendas, with a specific focus on partnerships and cooperation, and the engagement of diasporas.

Workshop participants shared approaches and practices, which incorporate migration into national, regional and international development policy agendas of developing as well as developed countries and identify gaps where this can be taken further. Moreover, the workshop presented tools and provided an overview of emerging policy issues with regard to the contribution of diasporas to the development of their countries of origin, as well as with regard to partnerships in migration and development. Participants also explored how migration can help to achieve the development targets set by the Millennium Development Goals.

Agenda

Welcoming Remarks

• Migration and Development: Integration of the migration phenomenon in development strategic objectives 
  • Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director General, International Organization for Migration (Statement)

Pursuing policy coherence on migration and development policy agendas: Why is migration a development issue?

The linkages have been recognized for a number of years, however until relatively recently “migration” and “development” have been treated separately on government policy agendas. What are the synergies and specific points of contact which currently exist between migration policy and development policy? How can the complexities of the migration phenomenon be more effectively incorporated into the development agendas of developed and developing countries? How can migration, as a contributing factor to development, be featured more regularly in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and Country Strategy Papers? How can development strategies be taken into consideration in migration policy development?

• Pursuing policy coherence in migration and development policy agendas (Discussion Paper)

• Development perspective
  • Tahar Fellous Refai, Directeur Général des Relations Extérieures Ministère de l'Intérieur et du Développement Local, Tunisie (Presentation)

• Pursuing policy coherence on migration and development: a migration perspective
  • Bart von Bartheld, Director, Movement of Persons, Migration & Alien Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands (Statement)

Migration and the Millenium Development Goals

International migration, despite its growing scope and magnitude, does not feature prominently in the original framework of the MDGs, although both the migration and development communities have become increasingly aware of the close relationship between international migration and development, and official UN documents and reports on the MDGs have started to reflect this recognition.

A simple relationship of cause and effect between migration and the achievement of the MDGs is clearly not possible. Migration may have a direct and positive influence on the achievement of the MDGs but can equally constitute a challenge which needs to be addressed in order to move further towards the attainment of these Goals. An example would be Goal 1 on the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Migration can either cause or alleviate poverty, however there is empirical evidence that demonstrates that an increase in international migration can be positively linked to a decline of people living in poverty.

How can migration be used to help achieve the development targets set by the MDGs?

• Migration and Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) ((Discussion Paper)

• Remittances for Sustainable Development: A new approach to achieving The Millennium achieving The Millennium Development Goals
  • Marc Keller, Development expert on MDGs and Consultant, UNDP (Presentation)

• The Millenium Development Goals and Migration
  • Ron Skeldon, Migration expert and Professorial Fellow, University of Sussex (Statement)

Discussant: Hans Timmer, Manager, DEC Prospects Group, World Bank

Partnerships in migration and development

Working cooperatively to manage the benefits and risks of migration for development – effective practices and lessons learned. What role can partners play in facilitating, developing and implementing policy?

• Partnerships in migration and development: Working cooperatively to manage the benefits and challenges of migration for development (Discussion Paper)

• (no document)
  • Speaker from country of origin - Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Chairman, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment

• Managing Migration in the Private Sector: A Philippine Experience  
  • Speaker from partner organization in private sector - Loreto Soriano, President and Chairman of the Board, LBS e-Recruitment Solutions Corp., Philippines (Presentation)

• Partnership in Migration and Development
  • Speaker from destination country - Hans-Werner Mundt, Project Manager Migration and Development, German Development Cooperation (Statement)

Discussant: Richard Black, Director, Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty, University of Sussex

Approaches to encouraging the engagement of diaspora in development of the country of origin – policies, effective practices and lessons learned

Do diasporas have an impact on development? What can they do? How do they do it? If there is an impact – why? How does it differ from development assistance and other contributions? What are the barriers, expectations, challenges? How can development agencies engage diasporas as a resource for development?

• Engaging diasporas as development partners, for home and destination countries (Discussion Paper)

• Country of origin perspective - (no document)
  • Margarita Escobar, Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Assistance to Salvadorians Abroad, El Salvador

• Host country perspective - Le Codeveloppment: Presentation Generale
  • Colette Metayer, Adjointe de l'Ambassadeur délégué au co-développement (Presentation)

• Diaspora community perspective - African diaspora, governments & development
  • Chukwu Emeka Chikezi, Executive Director, AFFORD (Presentation)

Discussant: Kathleen Newland, Director, Migration Policy Institute

Diasporas as Agents of Development

A presentation by IOM on the initial analysis of the questionnaires returned in preparation for this workshop.

• Diasporas as Agents of Development 
  • Gervais Appave, Director, Migration Policy, and Research, IOM (Presentation)

Break-out Groups

• Can migration be used as a tool towards poverty reduction? What kind of impact can migration have on poverty reduction? How can maximum benefit be derived from migration to reduce poverty?
• Partnerships in migration and development. What works? What doesn’t work? And why?
• Building relationships with migrant networks: How to develop and maintain contact? How to maximize the role these networks play? What role can the internet and other technological tools play? What are the traps to avoid and how to avoid them?

All themes should be discussed with government policy agendas in mind. Rapporteurs should be prepared to report on what role government development and migration policy can/should play and how government strategies could be adjusted to reflect the lessons learned.

Report to the Plenary

How can migration be more effectively incorporated into development policy agendas – national agendas? Multilateral organizations’ agendas?

Wrap-up

 

Related documents

• Results of the Survey "Engaging Diasporas as Agents for Development
• Data on Migration and Development Report
• Development and Migration Policy Memorandum

Event Documents

• Agenda
• List of Participants
• Workshop Report