Sustainable migration
Sustainable migration: together we can do it!
Sustainable migration can be achieved only with a close cooperation beetween destination countries and countries of origin, in order to generate a win-win situation.
According to IOM, the number of international migrants in 2020 was almost 272 million globally, with nearly two-thirds being labour migrants. International migration is not uniform across the world but is shaped by economic, geographic, demographic and other factors. The largest corridors tend to be from developing countries to larger economies. This pattern is likely to remain the same for many years into the future, especially as populations in some developing subregions and countries are projected to increase in coming decades.
If proactively and effectively managed, the migration challenge can be transformed into an opportunity for both destination countries (most of which have aging population) and for countries of origin, in terms of economic growth, development and the sustainability of social security systems.
On the other hand, uncontrolled migration peaks caused by irregular and clandestine immigrants are a threat to the mutual benefits of migration. Therefore, it is necessary to design interventions to control flows and to prevent illegal migration. To achieve this goal, there would be the need of a close cooperation beetween destination countries and countries of origin to coordinate and implement policies in order to generate mutual benefits, i.e. a win-win situation.
What policies and actions could be implemented?
1) Making migration a choice rather than a necessity
Countries of originin should be helped to implement active labour marker policies. This would reduce the urgency of leaving the country, in turn reducing reliance on irregular migration channels and helping to ensure that eventual migrants are well-matched to the labour market demands in destination countries.
2) Improving migrant employability
Individuals should be educated and trained in the countries to improve their employability in the destination countries market. It would be advisable also to activate public policies encouraging investments by firms from would-be destination countries designed to make use of local labour force skills. Education and training also favour good job matches for migrants in destination countries, and at the same time can help reduce the costs of integration and reduce incentives for irregular migration.
3) Equipping prospective migrants with migration knowledge and skills
Pre-migration programmes aimed at preparing individuals for the challenges of migration can be effective in helping them to find the right job match in the destination countries, to prepare them to integrate there and to reduce the incentives to use irregular migration channels.
4) Facilitate circular migration
Policies promoting circular migration are based on the recognition that a circular, or back and forth, migrant flow can bring significant benefits to both origin and destination countries, as well as to the individuals and families. From the perspective of the countries of origin, in addition to remittances, circular migration helps to lessen unemployment stresses and labour market imbalances, by providing external employment opportunities that are not available locally.
Circular migration can also help to mitigate “brain drain” and to promote “brain gain”, as returning workers bring with them new knowledge, skills, ideas and perspectives. From the perspective of the destination countries, circular migration can help to fill temporary, seasonal or cyclical shortages at both the lower and upper ends of the labour market in a highly-targeted, flexible and timely fashion.
5) Mobilising diaspora communities as agents of development in their countries of origin
Diaspora communities can be critical bridges between societies and countries and play a key role in transferring financial capital and social knowledge. Policies promoting diaspora engagement turn the traditional view of these multiple allegiances and identities among migrant populations on its head: rather than seen as a social challenge, Interventions in countries of origin they are treated as an important strategic resource.
6) Making migration a reversible choice
Return migration refers to a single emigration and return after a prolonged period away. Policies promoting return migration typically target high-skilled migrants and aim at encouraging these individuals to permanently resettle in their countries of origin (i.e., “return-of-talent”). From the perspective of the countries of origin, return migration provides a means of importing the human capital, social knowledge and financial resources acquired by migrants during their time abroad and of harnessing these for national development.
References:
IOM World Migration Report 2020 — https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/wmr_2020.pdf
OECD — International Migration Outlook 2019 — https://www.oecd.org/migration/international-migration-outlook-1999124x.htm
World Bank — Leveraging economic migration for development — http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/167041564497155991/pdf/Leveraging-Economic-Migration-for-Development-A-Briefing-for-the-World-Bank-Board.pdf
United Nations — International Migration 2019 Highlights — https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/files/documents/2020/Jan/un_2019_internationalmigration_highlights.pdf
European Commission — Study on the movement of skilled labour — https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=20453&langId=mt
ICID — Towards sustainable migration — https://www.aics.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Towards_sustainable_migration_ENG.pdf
This article was prepared and submitted by Marco Mazzeschi in his personal capacity. All opinions and views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the opinions of the paradiGM community. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any ethnic group, gender identity, organization, company or individual.
