Migration as a Tool in Development Policy: Caution Ahead?

Abstract

The World Bank and UNDP have proposed that migration and mobility facilitate economic development. Yet the epidemiological and public health literature has often associated migration and population mobility with the extension and intensification of infectious diseases, most recently epitomised by the AIDS pandemic. Within the context of the well-documented negative developmental impact of AIDS, this suggests a potential clash in perspectives on the role of migration. However, if insights from public health can be incorporated into broader development perspectives, it may be possible to realise the developmental benefits of migration while mitigating or avoiding any associated health concerns.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments

Notes

1. Migration and mobility are often used interchangeably but can refer to quite different processes. While the term ‘migration’ is commonly used for a change in residence of some duration, the term ‘mobility’ captures a wider array of both long- and short-term movement.

2. For a detailed account of the establishment of the migrant labour system in South Africa, see Crush et al. (2005) and Hargrove (2008).