Migration: Trends and Tragedies

Development emerges, with different forms and various processes, in line with perpetually changing environments ranging from household, communal, social, & national level to international level in relation to demographic, geographic, economic, political, and social changes. In this scenario migration has become one of the big issues repeatedly debated in development paradigm, in Nepal and around the world.  Migration of our time is not only fast moving but also posing significant developmental implications; challenges for governments, organizing, regularizing and managing it, around the world.

Most of the discussions on migration advocate for the idea that migration contributes to secure livelihood (IOM, 2003) but very limited or no recognition of security and right for migrants in destination has casted serious doubt concerning the positive impacts of migration. Increasing trends of both ‘pull’ and ‘push’ factors of migration at home and destinations have created tragic-comedy for migrants. Migrants at most of the destination have little or no recognition as human beings and they are extremely vulnerable to various discrimination and abuses. Most of the sources of migrants are indifferent to formulate the effective plans and policies in order to protect their citizens working in overseas by providing legal and institutional back up.

Majority of the people migrating these days belong to developing world (Hass, 2007) that has heterogeneous characteristics of development compelling developing countries to compete even in exporting labor force to developed economies.  Competition among the labor sending countries results on acute shortage of coordination concerning elimination of discrimination, exploitation and respect of human rights as well as rights of migrant workers at international domain that provides them less protection (IOM, 2003). They have not only been victims of various conditions but also exposed to different vulnerabilities, in this situation there are clear limits to what the state can protect its migrant workers without active coordination of the country of destination.

Migration is on the top of the policy agendas of almost all countries of origin, transit, and destination but the dilemma of ‘promotion’ of migration at home versus ‘protection’ of basic human rights at destination has made the whole migration process a complex issue for sustainable growth and inclusive development. It becomes very hot topic in every sphere of state-communities as the issues related to increased mobility of migrants come to the surface while its veneer of importance gets cast off as the issues of rights and facilities of migrants in both ends come to the surface.

Hein de Hass (2007) argues that despite of being risk spreading livelihood strategy migration has potentials to improve wellbeing, stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty but its effects on inequality and security are much more ambiguous (Hass, 2007). Generally households pursue migration as their livelihood strategy since little cash income plays vital role to reduce their risks of seasonality, harvest failure, food insecurity and other market constraints and sometimes it happens due to interactions between social structures and agencies (Gurung, 2008). Talking about the consequences, critics of migration argue that it only brings illusive changes which are temporal since it increases dependency on remittances even to meet small needs. Governments of developing countries are overestimating the contribution of current remittances in state development while it has played pivotal role only in changing the taste and consumption pattern of migrants and their families. Traditional growth theory has idealized migration but in reality migration and its benefits have been disproportionately distributed to different strata of the same society. Consequently, benefits from and access to migration for poor people and poor countries are very rare. At this point it will be hilarious to advocate inclusive development from the perspective of migration.

Current debate on migration is focusing too much only on economic dimension of development leaving all other non-pecuniary implications created directly or indirectly by migration. Migration is not only livelihood strategy getting out of the market constraints; but also it is the route widening social disparities simultaneously. Therefore, development in terms of migration is not straightforward but spatially heterogeneous (Hass, 2007). Currently migration is at the top of the discussion agendas of developmental, intellectual and academic domain in Nepal. Remittance is said to have played crucial role in reducing poverty in Nepal. Out migration from Nepal is on rise and inflow of remittance is very high but condition of the Nepalese individuals working abroad is very poignant. Nepal is still in Political stalemate despite of the breakthrough of peace in 2006 after decade long People’s war. Consequently Nepal, as other developing countries, has not been able to take necessary initiative to address problems of migrants. Migration provides promising ways to get out of substantial un-freedoms only for short term yet it is not reliable source of economic growth in the longer term. The challenges have accelerated by increased pressure to migrate at home and restrictive policies at destination. Moreover migration is vulnerable to be affected by national and international environments. In such situation it is obvious to have questions like:

-How migration could contribute to the sustainable development in developing countries like Nepal?

-Why migration has contributed so much for some and very little or no or even negatively for other countries/societies?

Works Cited

Gurung, Y. B. (2008). Migration from Rural Nepal: A Social Exclusion Framework.

Hass, H. d. (2007). Remittance, Migration and Social Development: A Conceptual Review of the Literature.

IOM, I. O. (2003). Labour Migration in Asia: Trends and challenges and Policy Responces in Countries of origin. Switzrerland: IOM.

(Note: this article is previously published on the Blog: http://development-topics.blogspot.com)