Armenia Sees Rise In Remittances

YEREVAN -- The vital cash remittances sent home by thousands of Armenians working abroad have increased this year after a sharp drop in 2009, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

Data released by the Central Bank of Armenia show a nearly 5 percent year-on-year increase in January-February 2010.

The total amount of such noncommercial cash transfers to Armenia through the banking system during that period was $119 million, up from $113.5 million reported in January-February 2009.

The figure is equivalent to 14 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Almost 76 percent of the cash transfers were from Russia, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Armenian migrant workers.

Remittances tumbled by over 31 percent to $1.12 billion last year as a result of the global financial crisis. That was one of the reasons why Armenia was hit particularly hard by the recession.

Its GDP contracted by as much as 14.4 percent in 2009 after a decade of robust growth.

Economic growth resumed in the first quarter of 2010 as economic conditions around the world, and in Russia in particular, began to improve. Source

Immigrant Remittances as a Source of Productivity

By Marcela Sanchez

In recent years Latin America has seen reduced inequality, a burgeoning middle class, and good economic governance that helped it recover from the latest recession sooner and better than others. But for all of its advances, the region still struggles to produce goods and deliver services more efficiently. In fact, over the last 40 years the region’s productivity growth has been dead last in the world.

There are many reasons for this productivity gap but top among them, according to a new book by the Inter-American Development Bank, is the lack of credit. Simply put, businesses that want to streamline and take advantage of new methodologies and technologies haven’t had access to the necessary financing to do so.

The recent recession has only exacerbated the problem. Total credit growth in the region dropped by more than three-fourths from 17% in 2008 to 4% in 2009. In terms of traditional mechanisms of investment, improved productivity in the near term does not look bright. Read more

Establishment of World Diaspora Fund in Geneva

The creation of this Fund is an initiative of the Working Group of the International Migrants Remittances Observatory for Least Developed Countries (IMRO, www.oitfm.org), in partnership with several public and private organizations. It’s also a part of the follow up of the recommendations of the Ministerial Conference of LDCs on enhancing the impact of remittances on development, hosted in Cotonou (Benin) in February 2006 by the Government of the Republic of Benin, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the United Nations High Representative for Least Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Norway, Ireland and the World Bank.

According to the World Bank, migrant remittances amount to an annual total of USD 300 billion according to the World Bank. But these remittances are sent to countries of origin for short-term (or emergency) assistance, in order to meet family needs (food, health and education for instance). A minor part of these funds contributes directly to the development of economic activities such as building houses or funding income generating activities. Read more

Morrocans residing abroad: Waiting for Political Representation

The socio-economic impact of the Moroccans residing abroad (MRA) on the Moroccan society is evident everywhere in the country. By being the number one source of hard currency, the immense effect of the MRE remittances on the Moroccan economy is undisputed.

However, MRA’s support of their immediate and extended families is by far the biggest achievements of the Moroccan Diaspora. Since the beginning of the Moroccan immigration to Europe in the sixties, the main reason behind the migration of young Moroccans was to help their relatives survive and thrive. Fifty years later with more than 4 millions Moroccans living in every corner of the world, the phenomenon of the immigrations is more at the core of the Moroccan society than ever.

Little and large, the sums of Dollars, Euros or Rials being sent by  MRA to their loved ones have a huge impact on the survival of millions of families in Morocco. Furthermore, the money  sent by Moroccans overseas have led to the start of thousands of small businesses, consequently creating hundreds of thousands of jobs for lower and middle class Morocco.

Many Moroccan families survive solely on the remittances received from their loved one residing “outside”, creating a social safety net outside the formal economy. Similarly, the jobs created through MRA’s remittances are helping reduce the unemployment rate, albeit modestly. In short, the MRAs are helping to strength the economy and to stabilize the socio-political impact of the economic stagnation on the poor and unemployed in Morocco.

 Read more

ROMANIA c/a deficit as remittances fall

BUCHAREST, April 13 (Reuters) - Romania's current account deficit widened by almost two thirds in the first two months of 2010 as remittances from workers based abroad fell, data showed on Tuesday.
The deficit, once Romania's main economic vulnerability and the reason it sought aid from the International Monetary Fund, gained 64.3 percent year-on-year to 754 million euros ($1.03 billion).

The external shortfall had narrowed significantly last year as the economy contracted by 7.1 percent.
This year's annual increase in January-February figures was due largely due to a 68.5 percent fall on the year in current transfers, which stood at 312 million euros, the central bank said.

Analysts said this meant lower remittances from Romanian workers abroad. One in ten Romanians have fled the country in recent years, seeking better living standards in the richer west, mainly in Italy and Spain.
Read more

PAKISTAN: CBE: FDI, remittances, exports fall in second quarter

BE: FDI, remittances, exports fall in second quarter


Building of headquarters of Central Bank of Egypt in Downtown



Foreign investment in Egypt fell by US$806 million in the second quarter of the current financial year, dropping to US$894 million from US$1.7 in the first quarter, according to a recent report issued by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). The decrease was attributed to drops in investment among US, EU and Arab investors.

The report also noted that remittances home sent by Egyptian expatriates fell from US$1.8 in the first quarter to US$1.7 in the second. Commodity exports, meanwhile, fell by 15.3 percent for the same period, the report stated, largely as a result of a 16.6-percent drop in Egypt's petroleum exports. Read more

Remittances to El Salvador Rise 8.7% in March

SAN SALVADOR – Remittances sent by Salvadorans living abroad – mostly in the United States – rose 8.7 percent in March, compared to the same month in 2009, to $343.2 million, El Salvador’s Central Bank reported.

“This is first positive rate observed since October 2008,” the Central Bank said.

Remittances last month were $27.2 million higher than in March 2009.

The increase in remittances was the result of the “positive influence of Holy Week,” the Central Bank said.

Remittances totaled $848.4 million in the January-March period, up 0.60 percent from the first quarter of 2009, “confirming the improving tendency,” the Central Bank’s economic research and statistics department said. Read more

IFAD: Financing Facility for Remittances’ 2010 Call for Proposals!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHILIPPINES: The price of working abroad

MANILA, Philippines--I believe there is another kind of calamity that has been causing more havoc upon the lives of millions of Filipinos both here and abroad than the natural calamities that visit the Philippines regularly. It has been going on for four decades starting in the early '70s when our countrymen started to leave their land, their homes, and loved ones for greener pastures overseas.

It has made millions of children virtually orphans as they are left by one or both of their parents for jobs abroad; and spouses virtually widows or widowers. This different kind of calamity has a name: The Filipino diaspora. It has put to naught the biblical fiat that no one should put asunder the marriage of man and woman inasmuch as overseas employment has been relentlessly causing the erosion and break-up of thousands of marriages and families.

Absence, it is said, makes one's heart grow fonder. But more often, insofar as innumerable OFWs are concerned, absence makes their heart grow fonder for fellow OFWs. The same is true of hundreds of spouses left in the home front who, out of sheer loneliness for their absent spouses, become vulnerable to temptations.

Hence marriages, treated by our Civil Code as an “inviolable institution” and by the Catholic Church and other religions as a “sacrament,” have been crumbling continually for decades now and there's no sign of its letting up. Read more

INDIA: Money Order Videsh scheme to be operational in city by end of Feb

The much-awaited scheme of the postal department Money Order Videsh (MOV) is all set to kick off in the city next month.

Offering international cash to cash and cash to account transfers, the scheme promises special remittances for students studying abroad.

On lines of the local money order scheme where cash can be received at one’s doorstep, the MOV offers to facilitate payments to foreign countries and receiving of remittances from foreign countries through the local post office.

The service was launched on October 24 last year and the Chandigarh division will be among the first few to be ready with its operations. Read more

INTERVIEW-Help Haiti: employ its migrant workers-UN official

05 Feb 2010 18:26:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Olesya Dmitracova

LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The United States and the Dominican Republic could help Haiti recover from last month's earthquake by employing Haitian workers to fill seasonal labour gaps, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.

"More than the immediate support...in the form of money and some technical capacity, the big issue really also is finding some longer-term trade and employment solutions," said Salil Shetty, director of the United Nations' Millennium Campaign, which aims to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015.

He cited the example of a New Zealand scheme which makes it easier for employers in some industries to recruit temporary workers from abroad.

"There's no reason why the southeastern part of the U.S. or even the Dominican Republic can't do this sort of system in a structured and legalised way because there is a shortage of labour (there)," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Read more

Reverse exodus of migrant workers in Persian Gulf challenges India

KOCHI, INDIA -- When his overnight flight landed, Abdul Wahib walked out of Kochi's palm-fringed airport and hugged his family. After 24 years of working in the United Arab Emirates, he was home. He carried a suitcase and a layoff notice: His well-paid job as a forklift operator at Dubai's once-bustling port was terminated.

Wahib's airplane was filled with Indian laborers, some fired by text messages, dozens owed months of back pay.

"My flight was full of shocked men, sad men. I could think only of my wife and two children back in India," said Wahib, 48, who had saved enough to buy a three-bedroom house in a sleepy hamlet of coconut groves and banana trees in the southern state of Kerala. "I didn't want to disappoint them. India has become a strong nation. But it's migrants' money that has pumped through our banks and villages. I hoped I could find good work at home." Read more

Asia Pacific Islanders Need to Take a Stronger Stance on Immigration Reform

When it comes to the issue of immigration, what quickly comes to American minds? Given that reporters repeatedly write about immigrants crossing the Mexican-U.S. border, the likely response: Hispanics. This focus, unfortunately, has devolved into deleterious scapegoating of immigrants from Central and South America. This is hardly a fair burden for Hispanics to carry, as immigration realities are much more diverse.

Reform will affect millions who emigrated from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, who come with a shared struggle, shared dreams and shared abilities to contribute to this country. Standing side by side, Hispanics are diverse minority groups who will be equally impacted by immigration reform, including Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). As chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and as a Japanese-American born to migrant workers, I know firsthand the frustration felt by API immigrants. Our stake in the immigration debate is substantial, our concerns unique, the reasons many. Read more

KENYA: Remittances from diasporas

Commentary on Remittances in 2009 Mr. Charles Gitari Koori, Director Research Department

The Central Bank of Kenya conducts a survey on remittances data every month based on information collected from formal channels that include commercial banks and other permitted international remittances service providers in Kenya.

Table 1 summarizes the data on remittances since the survey was initiated in 2004. For 2009 total remittances stood at US$ 609million (equivalent to Kshs 47.1 billion). This was slightly lower than 2008 remittances of US$ 611million (but higher in shilling terms equivalent to Kshs 42.3 billion due to exchange rate movements). Remittances in December 2009 rose by 40% to US$ 56m (Kshs. 4.2 billion) from US$ 40m (Kshs 3.1 billion) in December 2008. Similarly, remittances increased by 16.8 percent in the month of December, 2009 from US$ 48 million in November 2009. Read more

Kenyan Remittances Worth $609 Million In 2009 - Central Bank

NAIROBI, Feb 2

Kenyans abroad sent home $609 million last year, down from a record $611 million in 2008 but higher in local currency terms, the central bank said on Tuesday. Remittances are a significant source of foreign exchange for east Africa's biggest economy, coming after horticulture, tea and tourism. Day-to-day fluctuations in the local currency market are often driven by remittance flows. Read more

For Chinese Koreans, life is hard but still better in South Korea

The migrants are limited to jobs in restaurants, factories, construction fields or as domestic workers, but they are glad to be there. 'There is nothing' in China, one says.

Reporting from Seoul - Yin Shuilian is a fighter.

For more than 11 years, the 45-year-old ethnic Korean tried to leave her hard life in China, where she toiled in fields and in restaurants, and make her way to South Korea.

The move wasn't easy: She was repeatedly denied visas and cheated by unscrupulous brokers.

At last, Yin arrived here in 1998 lugging not only her belongings but also $80,000 in debts to her friends and family. When her husband followed eight months later, the couple faced the challenge of their lives: They worked for six years to repay what they owed and begin a new life in their chosen homeland.

"For us, going to Korea was like going to heaven, a place where money grew on trees," Yin says. "There is nothing [in China]. Here, if you want to work, you can."

Read more

Third Series: E-Consultation Migration and Rural Development

Dear Members,

We are pleased to announce the third series of our e-consultation where we will discuss about the role of migrants and diaspora organisations in rural development.

There are many studies referring to the positive contributions of migrants’ remittances to development. However, many of these policy debates tend to separate remittances from migrants, or better said, they talk about remittances but not the senders of remittances.

Katleen Felix, Diaspora Liaison of Fonkoze Haiti, wrote on her Facebook pages her impression on the recent large gathering of policy makers and international aid agencies in Montreal, Canada to discuss how to respond to the needs of earthquake victims. She said during this meeting, there were about 700 participants but only 10 are Diasporas. The Haitian migrants were only invited for the first part of the conference and during the press conference at the end of the day.

Katleen lamented that policy makers give the impression that diasporas are important but at the international level, diasporas are really not recognised as equal development partners. Haitian diasporas who have the skills, expertise, and knowledge are not (yet) targeted to be involved in the relief and reconstruction process of Haiti.

The World Bank estimates that Haitians abroad send home $1.5 billion to 1.8 billion remittances per year, or higher. That is much more than all the foreign aid that Haiti receives and continues to sustain millions of families in Haiti who are dependent on remittances. Aid from international donors in the aftermath of the earthquake is highlighted by the media. The support provided by Haitian diasporas to the affected rural areas which are not getting any support at all is hardly recognised. An interesting article related to this issue can be viewed at: www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/columnists/let-haitians-already-in-u-s-help-rebuild-195030.html

In this third series, we would like to hear your experiences or views about diaspora organizations and their existing initiatives. It would be interesting to know some concrete examples of HTA (Hometown Associations)-driven projects or initiatives from different countries, particularly in the rural areas.

We will try answer two key questions, namely:

1) What existing initiatives (best practices) do we know initiated by diaspora organizations which benefit their respective countries/communities of origin?
2) How are the diaspora organisations organized and how they interact with other migrants and local communities of origin?

For more information, kindly read the short background note on theme 3 here below.

We would like to thank those who have contributed to the previous discussion. Please note that contributions related to the first and second themes are still welcome.

We look forward to an animated discussion on this third theme during the next two weeks.

For more information kindly visit: http://consultation-migration-en.blogspot.com/

Best regards,
On behalf of the organizers



Leila Rispens-Noel
Coordinator, E-Consultation
Senior Advisor
International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions
Dakar, Senegal
E-mail: leila.wimler@gmail.com
E-mail: consultation-migration@cta.int
Weblog: http://consultation-migration-en.blogspot.com/
------------------------

Theme 3: Role of migrants and Diaspora groups in rural development The term “diasporas” refers to expatriate groups which, in contrast to “migrants”, applies to expatriate populations abroad and generations born abroad to foreign parents who are or may be citizens of their countries of residence[1]

Sheffer defines diasporas as a “socio-political formation, created as a result of either voluntary or forced migration, whose members regard themselves as of the same ethno-national origin and who permanently reside as minorities in one or several host countries. Members of such entities maintain regular or occasional contacts with what they regard as their homeland and with individuals and groups of the same background residing in other host countries”[2]


A potent benefit of high-skilled migration is the creation of a large, well-educated diaspora, which improves access to capital, information, and contacts for firms in countries of origin. Immigrants play a role in facilitating trade by providing information and helping to enforce contracts and by acting as intermediaries that can match buyers with reliable local suppliers. Some studies emphasize that diasporas can act as “first movers” who catalyze growth opportunities and make connections between markets that otherwise would not exist. Others cite the importance of diasporas in generating possibilities for co-development between firms in the countries of origin and destination, and expanding technical cooperation as seen in the increasing number of hometown associations, diaspora organizations, or philanthropic migrant organizations. However, despite the broad agreement on the importance of diasporas and the many anecdotal comments on how they have assisted development, it is difficult to quantify these benefits[3]

(1) IOM, Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries: Challenges for Policymakers, IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, January, 2007
(2) SHEFFER, Gabriel, Ethnic diasporas: A threat to their host? In Weiner, Myron (ed), International Migration and Security. Boulder, CO, Westview Press, 1993.
(3) World Bank, Global Economic Prospects. Economic Implications of Remittances and Migration, 2006,http://go.worldbank.org/0ZRERMGA00



QUESTIONS:

* At the meso level, many communities benefit from development projects initiated and funded by associations of migrants overseas. What existing initiatives (best practices) do we know initiated by diaspora organizations which benefit their respective communities of origin?
* How are the Diaspora groups organized and how do they interact with migrants and local communities in regions?

*******************************

Chers participants,

Nous avons le plaisir de lancer la discussion sur le troisième thème de notre e-consultation, notamment le rôle des migrants et des groupes de diasporas dans le développement rural

Il existe de nombreuses études sur la contribution des transferts de fonds des migrants au développement. Toutefois, beaucoup de ces débats politiques ont tendance à séparer les envois de fonds des migrants, ou pour mieux dire, ils parlent de transferts de fonds mais pas des expéditeurs des ces transferts.

Katleen Felix, du Fonkoze Haïti, a écrit sur ses pages de Facebook ses impressions sur le récent sommet des décideurs et des organisations d'aide internationale à Montréal, au Canada, pour discuter de la façon de répondre aux besoins des victimes du séisme. Parmi les 700 participants, seulement 10 étaient des diasporas. Les migrants haïtiens ont été invités seulement à la première partie de la réunion et à la conférence de presse à la fin de la journée.

Katleen a déploré que le fait qu'au niveau international, les diasporas ne sont pas vraiment reconnus comme des partenaires de développement. Les Diasporas haïtiennes qui ont les compétences, l'expertise et les connaissances ne sont pas (encore) ciblées pour être impliqués dans le processus de secours et de reconstruction d'Haïti.

La Banque mondiale estime que les Haïtiens à l'étranger envoyent de 1,5 milliard à 1,8 milliard de dollars par an en transferts d'argent. C'est beaucoup plus du montant total d'aide étrangère qu'Haïti reçoit et représente une source important de revenus pour des millions de familles en Haïti, tributaires de transferts de fonds. L'aide des donateurs internationaux à la suite du tremblement de terre est mise en évidence par les médias. L'appui fourni par la diaspora haïtienne aux zones rurales touchées par le séisme est à peine reconnu. Un article intéressant sur cette question peut être consultés à l'adresse: www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/columnists/let-haitians-already-in-u-s-help-rebuild-195030.html

Au cours de cette troisième partie de la consultation, nous souhaitons connaître vos expériences ou avis sur les activités et les initiatives des organisations de diasporas. Il serait intéressant de connaître quelques exemples concrets de projets ou initiatives gérées par les associations des villes natales dans différents pays, en particulier dans les zones rurales.
Nous allons essayer de répondre à deux questions clés, à savoir:

1) Au niveau méso, de nombreuses communautés bénéficient de projets de développement lancés et financés par des associations de migrants à l'étranger. Quelles sont les initiatives existantes (meilleures pratiques) entreprises par des organisations de diasporas dont bénéficient leurs communautés respectives d'origine?
2) Comment les groupes de diasporas sont-ils organisés et comment se relationent-ils avec les migrants et les communautés locales dans les régions?

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez lire la note d'information sur le thème 3 ci-dessous.

Nous tenons à remercier ceux qui ont contribué à la discussion sur les thèmes précédents. Veuillez noter que les contributions portant sur le thème 1 et 2 sont encore les bienvenues.

Au plaisir de lire vos contributions au cours des deux prochaines semaines,



Cordialement,
Au nom des organisateurs


Leila Rispens-Noël
Coordinatrice, e-consultation
Senior Advisor
International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions
Dakar, Senegal
E-mail: leila.wimler@gmail.com
E-mail: consultation-migration@cta.int
WEBLOG: http://consultation-migration-en.blogspot.com/