Links
between Migrations
Both
internal and international migration have significant consequences
for poverty and development, yet the two fields of enquiry are rarely
linked, in part because they are studied by scholars from different
backgrounds and with different concerns. Where the two are linked,
it is often assumed that internal movements simply represent a precursor
to international moves.
However, it is increasingly clear that the linkages between internal
and international migration are much more complex than this, with
international flows also stimulating internal movements, whilst
both share important characteristics in terms of their origins,
the processes involved, and their poverty impacts. In this context,
the Centre’s research has sought to explore first, whether
there is a difference between internal and international migration
systems; second, what are the implications of international movements
for internal migration and vice versa; and third, what is the nature
of the interaction between internal and international migration?
Evidence suggests that the level and nature of vulnerability that
international migrants face is higher than internal migrants. However,
returns to labour may also be different. If this is accounted for
in the migrants’ choice to move, it implies a qualitative
difference in the determinants of migration choice between the two
different locations. This hypothesis is being tested in the context
of in-depth research in Egypt and Bangladesh, as well as through
related research in Albania by a Sussex-based doctoral student.
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