Overcoming barriers Human mobility and development

Human Development Report 2009

– The world distribution of opportunities is extremely unequal.• Someone born in Thailand can expect to live 7 more

years, to have almost 3 times as many years of education, and to spend and save 8 times as much as someone born in Myanmar.

– This inequality is a key driver of human movement.• The lowest HDI in a US border county is above even

the highest on the Mexican side.• Following the lifting of restrictions on human mobility

in China, massive flows followed to regions with higher human development.

Human movement in an unequal world

Human movement in an unequal world

Human movement in an unequal world

Overcoming barriers: An HDR lens

– We view being able to choose where to live as a key element of human freedom.

– We look at the effects of movement not just on incomes but on broader measures of well-being such as education, health and empowerment.

– We propose politically feasible reforms to do with access and treatment that are oriented towards helping those who are most disadvantaged and have the most to gain.

– Most movement in the world does not take place from developing to developed countries, or even between countries.

– Most people who move do so within the borders of their own country.• Of the nearly 1 billion movers in the world, 740

million are internal migrants.

– Among international movers, only 2/5 move from developing to developed countries.

Who moves where, when and why

Who moves where, when and why

Who moves where, when and why

Not everyone gains– There is huge variation in the circumstances

surrounding human movement.• The poorest often cannot move at all, and when they do

so it is under uncertain and dangerous conditions.

– Movers can end up worse off.• This is a common outcome in trafficking.• Hardships in cases of conflict, but often worse off if not

able to move.

– Movement of the poor is paradoxically constrained by policies at destination – and at origin.

Barriers matter

– The share of the world’s population moving has not increased since 1960.

– However, the direction of their movement has changed: more go to developed countries than in the past.

– This change reflects growing dispersion between poor and rich countries.

– However, policy barriers to movement remain very high and have been tightened in many developing and developed destination countries.

Barriers matter

Barriers matter

– Careful studies show that migrant workers experience significant income gains.

– Largest for those coming from the poorest countries.

– Also significant for internal migrants.– However, the financial costs of moving are often

very high – especially when policies are restrictive. – Policies towards migrants at destination also

matter.

Most movers gain substantially

Most movers gain substantially

Most movers gain substantially

Most movers gain substantially

– Infant mortality rates are 16 times lower among movers from low-HDI countries.

– Families that move between developing countries see significant increases in their children’s education. • For example, a family moving from Nicaragua to Costa Rica

would see the chances of their children being enrolled in primary school increase by 22 percent.

– However, migrants usually fare much worse than their locally-born peers in health and education – a fact that is often explained by unequal access and quality.

Beyond income – gains in multiple dimensions of human development

Beyond income – gains in multiple dimensions of human development

Beyond income – gains in multiple dimensions of human development

Migration can help development – but it is not a substitute

– Financial remittances boost incomes of households at home, and can help reduce poverty. • However, their net effect is limited by the fact that the

poorest are not always able to move.

– Concerns about skilled labour migration and other adverse effects on development are often exaggerated • When they are justified, there are more effective solutions

than restricting the emigration of people.

– Human movement often leads to transformative flows of ideas and values.

At destination, effects tend to be positive

– Despite popular concerns, most studies find positive aggregate effects.• Our background research found that destination

countries capture 1/5 of the gains from migration.• In the OECD, we found that investment rises as a

response to migration, so that there are no job losses.

– Some groups—e.g. low-skilled workers—can be adversely affected.• The effects tend to be quantitatively small and should

be tackled through redistributive efforts as part of coherent national policies.

Beyond the crisis – clear underlying trends

– The recession has cut demand for migrant workers – and hit key destination places and sectors hardest.

– However, as the recovery ensues, underlying long-run trends will dominate.• Demographic – ageing and shrinking populations in

developed countries, growing and youthful populations in developing countries.

– These trends imply continuing pressures for – and benefits from – international migration.

Beyond the crisis – clear underlying trends

Beyond the crisis – clear underlying trends

Proposed core package of reforms

– Liberalise and simplify regular channels that allow people with low skills to seek work abroad

– Ensure basic rights for migrants– Reduce transactions costs associated with

migration– Improve outcomes for migrants and destination

communities– Enable benefits from internal mobility– Make mobility an integral part of development

strategies.

Access for low-skilled workers

– Two mechanisms: • Expand schemes for seasonal work (New Zealand)• Expand visas conditional on labour demand (Sweden)

– Process must consider views of employers, unions and technical advice.

– Pathways to permanence and provisions to facilitate circularity are vital.

– “Earned regularizations” a good way to deal with irregularity.

Ensuring basic rights– Few states have ratified conventions seeking to

ensure migrants’ rights.– Existing protocols have strong anti-

discrimination clauses that can be applied to migrants.• Observance of the core human rights treaties would

yield greater protection to migrants.

Ensuring basic rights

– Going beyond perceived opposition towards migration reveals important facts.• Most people favour immigration when jobs are available.• Most people support allowing migrants to stay permanently

rather than temporarily.• Opposition to migration is often shaped by misperceptions

about its consequences.

– The design of our core package addressed these key issues:• Number of entrants responsive to labour demand, need to

ensure observance of national and local labour standards, and emphasis on improving treatment and respecting rights.

Can this be done?

Can this be done?

In Sum,– Mobility has the potential to enhance human

development among movers, stayers and the majority of those in destination places.

– However, processes and outcomes can be adverse, and there is scope for significant improvements in policies and institutions.

– We present an ambitious long-term agenda for capturing the large unrealized gains.

– Bold and committed leadership now can make a huge difference for the lives of millions of people.