The Impact of Remittances on the International Migration and Economic Development

Migration does not only affect the processes of human development through individual social and financial remittances, but also the entire political and social life in the countries of origin, in a broader sense. Migrants and their children often tend to remain engaged with the countries of origin, through business, investment, common return visits or collective initiatives to promote the development of the places of origin. Migrants often plays an important role in civil society of the countries of origin, but many States have had ambiguous attitude toward immigrants. Over time, many States have viewed migration as a safety valve to reduce effectively the unemployment, poverty and political turmoil. From this, one can argue that migration and remittances may become a tool to relieve the pressure for structural reform and can effectively support the position of the elite groups, rather than to lead to change and emancipation of minority groups.