Migration and Poverty : TowardBetter Opportunities for the Poor

Murrugarra, Edmundo ; Larrison, Jennica ; Sasin, Marcin

World Bank

关键词: ACCESS TO LOANS;    ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE;    ADULT MORTALITY;    ADULT POPULATION;    AGED;   

DOI  :  10.1596/978-0-8213-8436-7
RP-ID  :  58284

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Migration has historically been a sourceof opportunities for people to improve their lives and thoseof their families. Today, the large differences in incomebetween places-particularly countries-continue to motivateindividuals to escape poverty through migration. Thepotential advantages of migration for sending countries arenumerous. Through remittances, migration provides a means ofimproving income and smoothing consumption; it enableshouseholds to overcome the lack of credit and cushion therisks involved in engaging in more productive activities;and migration can also act as a coping strategy in times ofdistress. Remittances can be spent on investments, such ashousing and schooling, and directly on householdconsumption. Furthermore, new skills and education may beacquired at the place of destination and transferred back tothe place of origin. This volume argues that althoughmigration increases income and often reduces poverty, themigration opportunities of the poor are different-among thepoor there are fewer migrants, and they travel to'cheaper' destinations with lower returns. Themain barriers to emigration encountered by the poor are lackof opportunities and high costs. This translates into lowerreturns and, very likely, less poverty reduction. As aresult of this cyclical interconnection, thepoverty-reducing potential that migration holds fordeveloping countries is often not maximized.