The Financing Facility for Remittances’ is announcing its 2010 Call for Proposals. The Call is open to public, private and civil society organizations around the world seeking grant funding for projects related to migrant remittances.
Further information can be found in the English flyer:
http://www.ifad.org/remittances/proposals.pdf
Or via the links below or the FFR’s website:
http://www.ifad.org/remittances/proposals.htm
Sunday, 28 March 2010
E. Africa can attract $2 bln remittances in 2010: UN
By Kezio-Musoke David
KIGALI (Reuters) - East Africa could attract more than $2 billion in remittances in 2010 and should direct this money to investment rather than consumption, the United Nations' Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said.
"If regional peace and stability was assured in the East African region then remittances would surpass the $2 billion mark over the year," Antonio Pedro, director of the UNECA sub-regional office, said late on Tuesday.
The World Bank estimates that remittances to the five countries in East Africa fell last year to $2.1 billion, from $2.3 billion in 2008, as they were hit by the global economic downturn. Read more
KIGALI (Reuters) - East Africa could attract more than $2 billion in remittances in 2010 and should direct this money to investment rather than consumption, the United Nations' Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said.
"If regional peace and stability was assured in the East African region then remittances would surpass the $2 billion mark over the year," Antonio Pedro, director of the UNECA sub-regional office, said late on Tuesday.
The World Bank estimates that remittances to the five countries in East Africa fell last year to $2.1 billion, from $2.3 billion in 2008, as they were hit by the global economic downturn. Read more
Vietnam urged to take measures to optimize emigration
International migration experts on March 26 suggested Vietnam should work more closely with destination countries to improve the speed and reduce costs for overseas Vietnamese of sending remittances back home.
At the international conference entitled the “Socio-economic impacts of emigration,” specialists from the Vietnam Asia-Pacific Economic Centre (VAPEC) also urged the Vietnamese government to increase ties with official financial institutions to facilitate the flow of remittances.
The current policies, they said, are not effective enough in optimizing all the resources that Vietnamese emigrants overseas can bring to national development.
Emigration became common in Vietnam after the end of the US war. Statistics show that around 5 percent of families nationwide have one or more members who have migrated, mainly to the US, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea , Malaysia and Russia . Read more
At the international conference entitled the “Socio-economic impacts of emigration,” specialists from the Vietnam Asia-Pacific Economic Centre (VAPEC) also urged the Vietnamese government to increase ties with official financial institutions to facilitate the flow of remittances.
The current policies, they said, are not effective enough in optimizing all the resources that Vietnamese emigrants overseas can bring to national development.
Emigration became common in Vietnam after the end of the US war. Statistics show that around 5 percent of families nationwide have one or more members who have migrated, mainly to the US, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea , Malaysia and Russia . Read more
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Door narrows for foreign workers in Singapore
SINGAPORE—Construction workers from Bangladesh, hotel staff from the Philippines, waitresses from China, shipyard welders from Myanmar, technology professionals from India—Singapore has them all.
For years the rich but worker-starved city-state, built by mainly Chinese immigrants, had rolled out the welcome mat for foreigners, whose numbers rose drastically during the economic boom from 2004-2007.
But with one in three of the five million people living on the tiny island now a foreigner and citizens complaining about competition for jobs, housing, and medical care, the government is taking a fresh look at its open-door policy
With the grumbling getting louder and general elections expected to be called before they are due in 2012, the government has unveiled measures to reduce reliance on foreigners and assure citizens they remain the priority. Read more
For years the rich but worker-starved city-state, built by mainly Chinese immigrants, had rolled out the welcome mat for foreigners, whose numbers rose drastically during the economic boom from 2004-2007.
But with one in three of the five million people living on the tiny island now a foreigner and citizens complaining about competition for jobs, housing, and medical care, the government is taking a fresh look at its open-door policy
With the grumbling getting louder and general elections expected to be called before they are due in 2012, the government has unveiled measures to reduce reliance on foreigners and assure citizens they remain the priority. Read more
PHILIPPINES: RP dependence on OFW earnings leads to jobless growth -- recruiter
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 22:27:00 03/14/2010 Filed Under: Overseas Employment
MANILA, Philippines --Awash with dollars from US$18 billion (more than P821 billion) a year in remittances from overseas Filipino workers a year, the Philippine economy could be now afflicted with the “Dutch disease,” an economic malady that sees the decline of local industries, fuels an overvalued peso, makes exports costly and imports cheap, and results in jobless growth, according to recruiters.
Lito Soriano, executive director of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters, issued the warning in a recent forum on the strong peso and what must be done on the peso-dollar exchange rate concerns of overseas Filipino workers.
Read more
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 22:27:00 03/14/2010 Filed Under: Overseas Employment
MANILA, Philippines --Awash with dollars from US$18 billion (more than P821 billion) a year in remittances from overseas Filipino workers a year, the Philippine economy could be now afflicted with the “Dutch disease,” an economic malady that sees the decline of local industries, fuels an overvalued peso, makes exports costly and imports cheap, and results in jobless growth, according to recruiters.
Lito Soriano, executive director of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters, issued the warning in a recent forum on the strong peso and what must be done on the peso-dollar exchange rate concerns of overseas Filipino workers.
Read more
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Fourth Series: E-consultation on Migration and Rural Development
English and French versions follow - Versions anglaise et française suivent
Dear Participants,
We are pleased to announce the final round of our e-consultation. Theme 4 is about “Diaspora and Development”.
The role of diasporas in development strategies, poverty reduction and economic growth is attracting considerable policy interest, involving diasporas, host countries and home countries. The interests of these diverse stakeholders meet around one main question: What can be done today to maximize the development benefits of migration for all?
Diasporas have been making contributions for a long time, without waiting for policy to mobilize them and sometimes even in spite of these. However, diaspora contributions are directly related to institutional frameworks, socio-economic settings, political environments as well as issues of perceptions, images, trust and social identification, in both the home and host country.
While there is a growing policy interest in tapping, mobilizing and channelling diaspora contributions, the role of policies should be clearly defined, and the approaches that can effectively facilitate the engagement of diasporas for development understood to ensure that diasporas are not deprived of the ownership of their contributions (IOM, Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries: Challenges for Policymakers, IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, January, 2007).
Kindly find below some key questions, on which we hope you can share your views:
1. How to include Diasporas in existing development strategies? Can they be an actor/interlocutor in the development debates?
2. What are major donor’s initiatives in support of diasporas (e.g. EU-Africa Dialogue on Migration and Development)?
3. What policies could facilitate remittances flows and transfer systems in rural areas?
4. How and what needs to be done to mobilize and channel remittances for rural development?
In the final debate, we would focus on how we can engage diasporas in rural development by suggesting some programs, policies and/or advocating for translating existing policies that can harness the potentials of migration for rural development. We are also eager to receive information on existing initiatives.
We are very grateful to our contributors of the past debates. We sincerely look forward to your active participation in our last thematic discussion.
Deadline for submission: March 21, 2010
On behalf of the organizers,
Leila Rispens-Noel
Coordinator, E-consultation
Chers participants,
Nous avons le plaisir de lancer la discussion sur le quatrième et dernier thème de notre e-consultation, notamment: «Diaspora et Développement».
Le rôle des diasporas dans les stratégies de développement, la réduction de la pauvreté et la croissance économique suscitent un intérêt politique considérable, impliquant des diasporas, leurs pays d'accueil et d'origine. Les intérêts de ces diverses parties prenantes se rencontrent autour d'une question essentielle: que peut-on faire aujourd'hui pour maximiser les avantages de la migration en termes de développement pour tous?
Les diasporas ont commencé à apporter leur contribution depuis long-temps, sans attendre la politique pour se mobiliser, et parfois même en dépit de cette dernière. Toutefois, les contributions de la diaspora sont directement liées aux cadres institutionnels et socio-économiques, à l'environnement politique ainsi qu’aux questions de perceptions, d'images, de confiance et d'identification sociale, tant dans les pays d’accueil que d’origine.
Bien qu'il existe un intérêt croissant des décideurs dans la mobilisation et canalisation des contributions de diasporas, le rôle des politiques devraient être clairement définis et les approches qui peuvent effectivement favoriser la mobilisation des diasporas pour le développement bien comprises, afin de veiller à ce que les diasporas ne soient pas privés de la propriété de leurs contributions (IOM, Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries: Challenges for Policymakers, IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, January, 2007).
Voici les questions clés auxquelles nous espérons que vous pouvez partager vos points de vue:
1. Comment peut-on inclure les diasporas dans les stratégies de développement existantes? Peuvent-elles être un acteur / interlocuteur dans les débats sur le développement?
2. Quelles sont les principales initiatives des bailleurs de fonds à soutien des diasporas (par exemple le dialogue UE-Afrique sur les migrations et le développement)?
3. Quelles politiques sont-elles susceptibles de faciliter les flux et les systèmes de transfert de fonds dans les zones rurales?
4. Que doit être fait et dans quelle manière pour mobiliser et canaliser les transferts de fonds vers le développement rural?
A l’occasion du débat final, nous souhaitons nous concentrer sur les possibilités d’engager la diaspora dans le développement rural, en suggérant certains programmes et politiques et/ou en essayant de traduire les politiques existantes afin d’exploiter les potentiels de la migration pour le développement rural. Nous vous serions reconnaissants de nous transmettre également des informations sur les initiatives existantes.
Nous tenons à remercier les participants qui ont contribué aux débats précédents.
Au plaisir de vous lire,
Au nom des organisateurs,
Leila Rispens-Noel
Coordinatrice de la e-consultation
Dear Participants,
We are pleased to announce the final round of our e-consultation. Theme 4 is about “Diaspora and Development”.
The role of diasporas in development strategies, poverty reduction and economic growth is attracting considerable policy interest, involving diasporas, host countries and home countries. The interests of these diverse stakeholders meet around one main question: What can be done today to maximize the development benefits of migration for all?
Diasporas have been making contributions for a long time, without waiting for policy to mobilize them and sometimes even in spite of these. However, diaspora contributions are directly related to institutional frameworks, socio-economic settings, political environments as well as issues of perceptions, images, trust and social identification, in both the home and host country.
While there is a growing policy interest in tapping, mobilizing and channelling diaspora contributions, the role of policies should be clearly defined, and the approaches that can effectively facilitate the engagement of diasporas for development understood to ensure that diasporas are not deprived of the ownership of their contributions (IOM, Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries: Challenges for Policymakers, IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, January, 2007).
Kindly find below some key questions, on which we hope you can share your views:
1. How to include Diasporas in existing development strategies? Can they be an actor/interlocutor in the development debates?
2. What are major donor’s initiatives in support of diasporas (e.g. EU-Africa Dialogue on Migration and Development)?
3. What policies could facilitate remittances flows and transfer systems in rural areas?
4. How and what needs to be done to mobilize and channel remittances for rural development?
In the final debate, we would focus on how we can engage diasporas in rural development by suggesting some programs, policies and/or advocating for translating existing policies that can harness the potentials of migration for rural development. We are also eager to receive information on existing initiatives.
We are very grateful to our contributors of the past debates. We sincerely look forward to your active participation in our last thematic discussion.
Deadline for submission: March 21, 2010
On behalf of the organizers,
Leila Rispens-Noel
Coordinator, E-consultation
Chers participants,
Nous avons le plaisir de lancer la discussion sur le quatrième et dernier thème de notre e-consultation, notamment: «Diaspora et Développement».
Le rôle des diasporas dans les stratégies de développement, la réduction de la pauvreté et la croissance économique suscitent un intérêt politique considérable, impliquant des diasporas, leurs pays d'accueil et d'origine. Les intérêts de ces diverses parties prenantes se rencontrent autour d'une question essentielle: que peut-on faire aujourd'hui pour maximiser les avantages de la migration en termes de développement pour tous?
Les diasporas ont commencé à apporter leur contribution depuis long-temps, sans attendre la politique pour se mobiliser, et parfois même en dépit de cette dernière. Toutefois, les contributions de la diaspora sont directement liées aux cadres institutionnels et socio-économiques, à l'environnement politique ainsi qu’aux questions de perceptions, d'images, de confiance et d'identification sociale, tant dans les pays d’accueil que d’origine.
Bien qu'il existe un intérêt croissant des décideurs dans la mobilisation et canalisation des contributions de diasporas, le rôle des politiques devraient être clairement définis et les approches qui peuvent effectivement favoriser la mobilisation des diasporas pour le développement bien comprises, afin de veiller à ce que les diasporas ne soient pas privés de la propriété de leurs contributions (IOM, Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries: Challenges for Policymakers, IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, January, 2007).
Voici les questions clés auxquelles nous espérons que vous pouvez partager vos points de vue:
1. Comment peut-on inclure les diasporas dans les stratégies de développement existantes? Peuvent-elles être un acteur / interlocuteur dans les débats sur le développement?
2. Quelles sont les principales initiatives des bailleurs de fonds à soutien des diasporas (par exemple le dialogue UE-Afrique sur les migrations et le développement)?
3. Quelles politiques sont-elles susceptibles de faciliter les flux et les systèmes de transfert de fonds dans les zones rurales?
4. Que doit être fait et dans quelle manière pour mobiliser et canaliser les transferts de fonds vers le développement rural?
A l’occasion du débat final, nous souhaitons nous concentrer sur les possibilités d’engager la diaspora dans le développement rural, en suggérant certains programmes et politiques et/ou en essayant de traduire les politiques existantes afin d’exploiter les potentiels de la migration pour le développement rural. Nous vous serions reconnaissants de nous transmettre également des informations sur les initiatives existantes.
Nous tenons à remercier les participants qui ont contribué aux débats précédents.
Au plaisir de vous lire,
Au nom des organisateurs,
Leila Rispens-Noel
Coordinatrice de la e-consultation
Haiti: US remittances keep the homeland afloat
Haiti's economy depends on the estimated US$1.5 billion a year in remittances sent home by its million-strong diaspora. Dilip Ratha, lead economist at the World Bank said the figure could be even higher, accounting for perhaps half the national income.
The money is funnelled into the country via banks, transfer agencies or informal "mailmen" (factuers), who make deliveries for friends and family, sometimes for payment. A 2007 Humanitarian Policy Group report for the Overseas Development Institute estimated that "an unknown but certainly large" amount of remittances were delivered this way.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake on 12 January 2010 halted non-emergency travel into Haiti for a time, putting a temporary stop to the factuers and preventing the central bank from distributing funds to branches in the countryside. Haitians in the United States and elsewhere were forced to find other ways to help relatives. Read more
The money is funnelled into the country via banks, transfer agencies or informal "mailmen" (factuers), who make deliveries for friends and family, sometimes for payment. A 2007 Humanitarian Policy Group report for the Overseas Development Institute estimated that "an unknown but certainly large" amount of remittances were delivered this way.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake on 12 January 2010 halted non-emergency travel into Haiti for a time, putting a temporary stop to the factuers and preventing the central bank from distributing funds to branches in the countryside. Haitians in the United States and elsewhere were forced to find other ways to help relatives. Read more
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
SRI LANKA: Migrant workers’ remittances increase by 14 percent: SLBFE
y Lakna Paranamanna
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) stated that the foreign revenue generated by migrant workers had increased by 14 percent during 2009, in comparison to 2008.
In 2008, the total amount of foreign revenue generated through migrant workers was USD 2.9 billion. “Last year there has been a sharp increase and the total revenue has escalated to USD 3.3 billion,” said SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka.
He asserted that this was a result of the salary increase for migrant female domestic workers, requested by the Sri Lankan Government. The Bureau issued a circular to this effect on January 1, 2008 and it was forwarded to all embassies. As a response to this circular, the Government of Saudi Arabia agreed to increase the wages of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers by 60 percent.He said that following the steps that the SLBFE took to educate the migrant workers on matters such as financial management, making the NRFC accounts compulsory and encouraging them to sign service agreements were also reasons behind this significant increase in the foreign revenue generated through the migrant workers. During 2009, a total number of 247,119 workers had migrated for foreign employment purposes. Amongst them, 43,744 had migrated to Qatar and 42,400 had migrated to Kuwait.
Read more
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) stated that the foreign revenue generated by migrant workers had increased by 14 percent during 2009, in comparison to 2008.
In 2008, the total amount of foreign revenue generated through migrant workers was USD 2.9 billion. “Last year there has been a sharp increase and the total revenue has escalated to USD 3.3 billion,” said SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka.
He asserted that this was a result of the salary increase for migrant female domestic workers, requested by the Sri Lankan Government. The Bureau issued a circular to this effect on January 1, 2008 and it was forwarded to all embassies. As a response to this circular, the Government of Saudi Arabia agreed to increase the wages of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers by 60 percent.He said that following the steps that the SLBFE took to educate the migrant workers on matters such as financial management, making the NRFC accounts compulsory and encouraging them to sign service agreements were also reasons behind this significant increase in the foreign revenue generated through the migrant workers. During 2009, a total number of 247,119 workers had migrated for foreign employment purposes. Amongst them, 43,744 had migrated to Qatar and 42,400 had migrated to Kuwait.
Read more
NEPAL: Remittance growth may see decline
(Source: The Kathmandu Post)trackingKATHMANDU, March 8 -- Nepal is unlikely to see the robust growth from remittances in the near future. This has been revealed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Consultation Mission on Sunday. The IMF's Mission has also suggested the government to make policy changes in view of slowdown in remittances. "The remittance growth is expected to slow down and the economy will need to adapt," states IMF's Mission's report on 'Remittances in Nepal and South Asia'. "The government should focus on policies for domestic growth," said Laura Papi, Mission chief. "It should give more attention to structural issues like power, labour relation and infrastructure." Read more
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