Regular migration pathways include labour mobility regimes, sponsorship programmes for high-skilled workers, student visas and protections for refugees. In contrast, irregular migration pathways include illegal entry, overstaying a visa and befallen irregularity (where regular status is lost) (Vickstrom, 2014). The links between regular (legal) pathways for migration and ...» more
Migration
Effectiveness of programmes supporting migrants in Africa
Despite a growing body of research on migration and development, the literature highlights the limited empirical evidence available on the effectiveness of migration programmes. The aid-spending departments of the UK government are in the process of identifying how UK aid contributes to tackling the “root causes of mass migration” and developing new, targeted programmes. A ...» more
Emergency humanitarian response to longer-term development in refugee crises
This report provides a rapid literature review of the evidence on emergency humanitarian response to longer-term development in refugee crises. While the scope of the report did not allow for complex judgements to be made about the quality of the body of evidence, or of the strength of individual pieces of evidence, an evidence table is provided in Annex A to enable the reader ...» more
Developmental impacts of interventions to support legal migration
There is very little impact evaluation evidence of the developmental outcomes of interventions to support regular migration. The review identified only one migration intervention (the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employment Programme) which had had rigorous impact evaluations conducted: the scheme was found to have positive impacts on employers, migrants and origin countries ...» more
Evidence on education as a driver for migration
This report synthesises two previous reports on drivers of migration1, and focuses on the evidence on education’s role. The previous reports focused on education and migration in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS), and youth employment and education in low and middle income countries. The papers presented below reflect these original criteria, but reframe the studies ...» more
Drivers of Syrian refugee onward migration from Jordan to Europe
This helpdesk report discusses the main drivers of Syrian refugee onward movement from Jordan to Europe. They include: Limited livelihood opportunities: Syrian refugees were largely prevented from accessing Jordan’s formal labour market from 2011 to 2015 (Lenner and Schmelter, 2016). Lack of livelihood opportunities has contributed to poverty and hardship (DRC, 2016; REACH, ...» more
Syrian refugee onward migration from Jordan to Europe
There has been a massive influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan since the Syrian conflict began: the official figure is over 650,000 but the actual number is likely to be much higher (ACAPS, 2016: 1). Only 21.5 per cent of registered Syrian refugees are living in camps; 78.5 per cent are in urban areas, distributed as follows: Amman (26.4 per cent), Mafraq (23.9 per cent), Irbid ...» more
Rapid fragility and migration assessment for Somalia
Somalia is a country of origin, destination, transit and return for a large number of people moving across the Horn of Africa region and beyond. Somalis have fled the country in large numbers since the late 1960s as a result of war, poverty and a lack of freedom. Protracted conflict and the absence of a functioning government have produced a diaspora of between 1 and 1.5 ...» more
Rapid fragility and migration assessment for Ethiopia
Migratory context and drivers: Until the early 1990s, Ethiopia was one of the largest sources of refugees and migrants in Africa; since then it has become the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Compared with many other countries in Africa, Ethiopia has a relatively low international migration rate. Analysis anticipates Ethiopia may experience rising outward ...» more
Rapid fragility and migration assessment for Eritrea
Eritreans have fled the country in large numbers since the 1960s as a result of war, poverty and a lack of freedom. The 30-year long Independence war produced a diaspora of over a million people, mostly based in Sudan, the Middle East, Europe and the US. Significant numbers displaced during this war returned after Independence in 1993 and throughout the remainder of the ...» more
Rapid fragility and migration assessment for Sudan
Sudan is a source, transit, and destination country for migrants. Sudanese migrants are a mixed group of refugees and asylum seekers, economic migrants and, to a lesser extent, foreign students. The majority are men aged 25–40, and they come from a wide range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. The majority of refugees and asylum seekers are in neighbouring ...» more
Drivers of irregular migration in North Africa
Irregular migration is the movement of people that takes place outside the regulatory norms of the sending, transit and receiving countries (IOM definition). A complex array of factors drives irregular migration. Most literature states that economic and conflict-related reasons, along with social networks and social support, are the major factors influencing migration. Economic ...» more
Impact of communication campaigns to deter irregular migration
Understanding the decisions to leave is a key part of the success of communication campaigns to deter irregular migration. However there is very little evidence on the impact and effectiveness of these campaigns and anecdotal evidence suggests that they have limited, if any, effect on migrants’ decisions to leave. Irregular migration is the movement of people that takes ...» more
Migration and conflict in Afghanistan
Migration flows in Afghanistan includes external migration to neighbouring countries and across the world, and internal migration with many internally displaced people (IDPs). The last three decades of conflict have led to overlapping outflows and return of Afghan migrants driven by a complex set of factors. The literature on the topic is mostly qualitative and often based on ...» more
Early warning models for irregular migration
Estimating and predicting migrations has been a growing issue on the agenda of scholars and policymakers in the last decades. Forecasting irregular migration is of particular interest to policymakers as a tool enabling them to adapt policy to future trends. The meaning of irregular migration is not always clear as there is no universally accepted definition. It is still ...» more
Climate Change and Migration
The difficulty of making predictions of future patterns of climate change migration springs principally from the fact that, methodologically, it is very difficult if not impossible to unpack the different environmental drivers and triggers of migration. People move for complex sets of reasons of which a changing environment is only one. As such it is important to try to ...» more
Mapping Research on Migration
This query aims to identify research organisations with long-term programmes on the links between migration and development. There are a large number of institutes working on the issue of migration in the UK, US, and particularly Europe. Most of their work focusses on national and European migration trends, and the integration, exclusion, and citizenship of migrants within host ...» more
Information Campaigns and Migration
Information campaigns aim to provide would-be migrants with information about the potential risks associated with illegal migration in order to raise their awareness and ultimately (although not always explicitly) deter them from migrating through irregular channels. These campaigns have largely, but not exclusively, taken place within the framework of counter-trafficking ...» more
Migrants/Diaspora and Integration
Rising interest in the area of 'transnationalism and integration' has resulted in an increase in research studies in recent years. Most of these studies find that migrant/diaspora involvement in their home countries is not a threat to their integration in host countries. Rather transnationalism and integration can comfortably coexist. Further, some studies have found that ...» more
Climate change and conflict
There is very little academic research on the links between climate change and conflict. Of the few studies that are available, the findings are mixed. Most authors argue that whilst climate change may well result in increased conflict, this path is not certain. The most commonly discussed scenarios are that climate change causes resource scarcity, which prompts violent ...» more
