Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development

1
Overcoming barriers Human mobility and
development

• Human Development Report 2009

Jeni Klugman Director, Human Development Report
Office
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Origins and Evolution

• Launched in 1990, the Global HDR has gained
  prominence and widespread use.
• Since then, annual global reports, on a diversity
  of themes gt 2009 Human mobility and development

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Human movement in an unequal world

• The world distribution of opportunities is
  extremely unequal.
• Someone born in Thailand can expect to live 7
  more years, to have almost 3 times as many years
  of education, and to spend and save 8 times as
  much as someone born in Myanmar.
• This type of inequality is a key driver of human
  movement.
• The lowest HDI in a US border county is above
  even the highest on the Mexican side.

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Who moves where, when and why

• Focus is often on S-N movement, and OECD
  destinations eg Dustmann -- BUT
• Most movement in the world does not take place
  between developing and developed countries, or
  even between countries.
• Most people who move do so within the borders of
  their own country.
• Of the nearly 1 billion movers in the world, 740
  million are internal migrants.
• Among international movers, only 2/5 move from
  developing to developed countries.

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Barriers matter

• Despite demographic pressures and growing income
  inequality, the share of the worlds population
  moving has not increased since 1960.
• However, the direction of their movement has
  changed more go to developed countries than in
  the past.
• Overly restrictive barriers to entry prevent many
  people from moving under regular channels.

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Recessions and migrant unemployment (1)

• In a panel of 14 EU economies, we found that
  unemployment rates for migrants go up much faster
  than those of local during recessions.
• This confirms Dustmann et al.s UK and Germany
  results using macro data.
• 1 ? GDP ? 4.2 ? in immigrant local
  unemployment ratio
• However, our results also showed that this
  phenomenon only characterizes recessions, and not
  the normal fluctuations of stable economies. 
• Hence patterns during the recession are not
  necessarily appropriate for thinking about
  long-run trends.

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Impacts of the crisis (2)
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But beyond the crisis clear underlying trends

• However, as the recovery ensues, underlying
  long-run trends will dominate.
• -gt demographic ageing and shrinking populations
  in developed countries, growing and youthful
  populations in developing countries.
• and imply continuing pressures for and
  benefits from international migration.

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Policy implications? ?key pillars

• 1. Liberalize and simplify regular channels that
  allow people with low skills to seek work abroad
• 2. Ensure basic rights for migrants
• 3. Reduce transactions costs associated with
  migration
• 4. Improve outcomes for migrants and destination
  communities
• 5. Enable benefits from internal mobility
• 6. Make mobility an integral part of human
  development strategies

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Expanded access design is key

• Two mechanisms
• Expand schemes for seasonal work (New Zealand)
• Expand visas conditional on employer demand
  (Sweden)
• Process must consider views of unions, employers
  and technical advice.
• Pathways to permanence and provisions to
  facilitate circularity are vital.
• Earned regularizations as a good way to deal
  with irregularity.

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Ensuring basic rights

• Few states have ratified conventions seeking to
  ensure migrants rights.
• Yet existing protocols have strong
  anti-discrimination clauses, not limited to
  citizens
• Observance of core human rights treaties would
  yield greater protection to migrants.

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Improving outcomes

• Provide access to basic servicesparticularly
  schooling and health care
• Help newcomers acquire language proficiency
• Facilitate access to the labour market, e.g.
  allowing people to move among employers
• Support local government eg fiscal transfers to
  finance additional local needs

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Can this be done?

• Despite perceived opposition towards migration
  also noted by Dustman - deeper analysis reveals
  important facts
• Most people favor immigration when jobs are
  available.
• Most people support allowing migrants to stay
  permanently rather than temporarily.
• Opposition to migration is often shaped by
  misperception of its consequences.
• Policy design can address these concerns
• Number of entrants responsive to labor demand,
  need to ensure observance of national and local
  labor standards, and emphasis on improving
  treatment and respecting rights.

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Overcoming barriers

• In sum Dustmans analysis casts important light
  about efficiency and distribution effects,
  especially via the labour market, BUT
• Need to think beyond the crisis
• Consider impacts beyond income, and beyond
  wealthy destination places
• Develop politically feasible reforms that are
  oriented towards helping those who are most
  disadvantaged and have the most to gain
• Call for bold and committed leadership to make a
  huge difference to the lives of many millions