Migration and Remittances

The size of this book is a testament to the significance of remittances, which totalled approx. US$ 583 billion in 2014. The editors explain the aims of this book thus:

“This volume brings together a number of the more important studies of remittances that attest to both the historical and contemporary significance of remittances, the need for subtlety in interpretation of flows…and especially their role in contributing to economic and social change and development…It is reasonable to conclude that they are likely to become even more important in the future, even in a global context of substantial opposition to international migration.” (pages xiv and lv)

This collection of previously published papers comprises eight thematic sections:

·         Part I: Introduction and Overview. These chapters review trends in sending and measuring remittances, the different remittance channels, and the role of informality.

·         Part II: Alternative Approaches. These chapters go deeper into economic frameworks for studying remittances, and describe key methodological challenges.

·         Part III: Rationale and Determinants. These chapters examine the drivers of remittances and migrant characteristics.

·         Part IV: Uses and Impacts. These chapters analyse varied geographical cases to understand how funds remitted are actually used by households.

·         Part V: Community Remittances. These chapters explore how social networks and norms influence remittances to community groups, and the uses to which these remittances are put.

·         Part VI: Social Remittances and Social Change. These chapters describe the intangible transfers, for instance of ideas and social capital, that accompany monetary remittances.

·         Part VII: Islands and Landlocked States. These chapters are dedicated to small island states and landlocked economies, which are among the countries most dependent on remittances.

·         Part VIII: Policy Responses. These chapters explain the policy discussions around increasing remittances and optimizing their impact.

Further reading:

Environment and Urbanization (2010), “Migration and mobility and the implications for local governance and local development”, Vol 22, No 10, available at http://journals.sagepub.com/toc/eaua/22/1.

McIlwaine, Cathy (2014), “Everyday urban violence and transnational displacement of Colombian urban migrants to London, UK”, Environment and Urbanization Vol 26, No 2, pages 417–426, available at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956247814544416.

Book note prepared by Christine Ro