The effects of migration and remittances on areas of origin

Experts and international organisations highlight the impact of remittances on productive investments for development. A number of surveys reveal that remittances are partly used for farm investments (Taylor et al., 2006; Wouterse and Taylor, 2009). Based on the New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) it is hypothesized that households invest remittances for reducing income risks by diversifying agricultural production, for overcoming credit constraints and for productive investments. Furthermore, it is assumed that remittances contribute to land use changes in the farm sector. These considerations lead to the following research questions: (1) How far are remittances to rural areas used for farm investment? (2) How far do investments out of remittances influence land use change? For that purpose, a survey among 400 households was conducted in Kerala (India) and the research region of Malappuram, because this region features high a density of migration, high amounts of remittances transferred from the Gulf countries, water shortages during dry season, and a long farming tradition . The data are analysed by correlations and descriptive statistics. The results indicate that farm investments correlate positively with remittances. Besides, households which receive remittances have a higher likelihood to change their land use.

Estimated at $399 in 2012, remittances are considered “untapped sources for development funding” by the World Bank and the G20. Beyond the contentions about communities using the monies for consumables instead of development, there is recognition that conflict zones need remittances to stay afloat. The West Bank is on of those places. From a development perspective, the West Bank remains stagnant, yet for West Bank Palestinians they consider themselves involved in political resistance against the Israeli occupation by building homes and supporting relatives in their everyday lives. The arguments made in this paper are based on data collected in an ethnographic study conducted in New York and New Jersey between 2001-2008. Using Viviana Zelizer and Charles Tilly’s “Relations and categories,” this paper contends remittances do not have to produce dependency or corrupt intimate relationships when those involved imbue the financial transfers with positive meaning. By tracing the informal mechanisms devised to send remittances, it is concluded that such mechanisms and not only the dollar amount bolster West Bank Palestinian networks and community pride, and build commitments among the American-born.

So far, little work has been systematically documented consequences of migration on maternal and child health in developing countries like India. While, migration has the potential to reduce both the financial and cultural barriers to health-care service utilization. Migration improves the material conditions of households and communities through the infusion of remittances, and it can alter ideational systems and cultural practices through the diffusion of new ideas, attitudes, and behaviours. This study used data from DLHS-3 to investigate the relationship between migration and the utilization of maternal health services at place of origin. The dependent variables are the following: at least 3 ANC, at least 1 TT injection, full ANC, PNC and institutional delivery. Bivariate and binomial logistic regression methods are used to test the relationship between each of the six dependent variables and the migrant status of respondents, i.e., non-migrants and migrants. The results show that the migrants have higher in use of maternal health services compare non-migrant across socio-demographic characteristics. The results from the multivariate regression indicate that women education, wealth, caste, Number of living children and migrant status are significant factors in explaining the differentials in women’s use of health care servic

There are a few empirical studies that look at the relative economic impacts of circular and permanent migration of the low-skilled workers. Data gathered from 858 Indonesian low skilled migrant workers in Peninsular Malaysia with varying legal statuses (documented, undocumented and permanent residents) and mobility intentions (circular, permanent or undecided) were used to analyse the impacts.
All circular migrants remitted more and used their remittances for more than just consumption related activities than permanent migrants. As suggested by Glytsos (1997, p. 421), circular migrants, by sending a larger proportion of their wages, indicated a preference for consumption at the home country. Their remittances are used for activities with higher multiplying effects with investment in education of children and savings, while the permanent migrants’ smaller remittances often supported the extended family members left behind with day-to-day expenses. The undecided migrants’ use of remittances was similar to that of circular migrants.
It is evident from the study that the positive economic benefits for Indonesia, Malaysia and the individual migrant continue to facilitate the migration flow.

This research examined the impacts of rural-urban migration on livelihoods of rural populations in the five states of southeastern Nigeria using the “asset indices” framework. Data for this study were obtained from questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary sources. Six hundred households were purposely selected for this study. The assets of households were analyzed with asset indices technique, hierarchical cluster analysis was used to categorize the livelihood impacts while correlation analysis was carried out on the asset indices to ascertain their relative influence. Finally, the underlying determinants of indices were derived from principal component analysis. Results of the analyses showed that migration impacts on the livelihoods of the rural households but asset indices vary for different states. Generally, financial and food indices have the greatest impacts in the area and subsequently, recommendations are made on how to maximize the impacts of migration on livelihoods.

The paper overviews international remittances receipts by the households and the practices relating to their end-use at the places of origin in rural Punjab. It also examines the role remittances in leveraging the household consumption, investment as well as the local area development. It focuses on remittances for family maintenance and community empowerment. The effect of family remittances (or the migrant worker’s remittances) is examined at the household level. Based on data from a recent survey of 6,500 households, the paper finds that a large section of the households were utilizing remittances for day-to-day household expenses and repayment of outstanding debts. Use of remittances for human development inputs such as education and health was also sizeable. However, insignificant share of households used the remittance for financing of the migration of family members or relatives abroad and for holding of gold, etc. Remittance use was affected by class and class hierarchies with relatively less affluent households receiving regular finance from foreign and using them for more immediate needs. The results also include a link between community remittance and the local area development where large chunk of humanitarian efforts are for religious benevolence, education, recreation, health and rural infrastructure.

This is duplicate

Migration has a potential to increase rural development as has been shown by several studies around the world but empirical work is limited in Central Africa. Therefore, using the New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) and Lewis- Fei- Ranis theory as analytical frameworks, this study tests whether migration affect investment in fertilizer, high yielding varieties and hired labour in Rwanda and DRC. Migration has negative effect on input use which confirms and conflicts other findings in smallholder agriculture around the World. However, migration bears a positive effect on hired farm labour use. The mixed effects clearly show that the relationship between migration and crop production is not homogenous and varies with production conditions, dominant crop enterprises, social and beliefs and norms. The negative effect of migration on input use clearly supports the NELM and Lewis- Fei- Ranis theory arguments. This requires attention of policymakers in Central Africa because migration only helps to ease farm households’ liquidity and capital constraints in the short run with limited contribution to agricultural intensification. The possible policy could be to create enabling environment for both migrants and family left behind to invest in agriculture and subsidize the remittances sent for agricultural production activities.

This paper seeks to explain the exigencies of a crystallizing ‘culture of exile’ among Nigerian youths. It examines the lures and motivation of training as a nurse among these youth as a direct result of the fortunes of nurses’ migration abroad and the trends these have produced over time in the local society. It shows how a society’s significant population, especially the young females, with their families’ encouragement and peer influence, take to the nursing profession with the aim of migration to the developed economies for better opportunities. It further reveals how the everyday living of each hopeful migrant was a ‘life in transit’, in pursuance of the ultimate fantasy of future travel. The paper also notes three important implications of this development: an emerging change in traditional worldviews on gender roles,reinforcement of horizontal inequalities and the further impoverishment of the society’s medical systems due to the continuous brain drain.

This paper adds to the intrahousehold allocation literature by incorporating migration and remittances using datasets from the Philippines. I examine whether the individual’s bargaining power within the household affects how remittances are allocated or spent. I use gender and education of household head as proxies for bargaining power, taking into consideration the moral hazard problem. I estimate a generalized linear model with logit link function and the binomial distribution since the outcome variables are expenditure share on nine categories of goods. The results suggest that female heads with absent spouse allocate remittances more on education and health, and less on alcohol and tobacco. These are consistent with the general findings of empirical tests on income pooling. Male heads with migrant spouse devote more on alcohol, tobacco, and education; less on food. The allocations of male heads on education and food are consistent with the presence of the wife. Educational attainment of the head also captures heterogeneity in the allocation of remittances among male- and among female-headed households. It appears that it is the less-formally educated heads who value and allocate more remittances on education, this is true for all female-headed households and male-headed households whose wives are present.