Migration as a strategic asset for economic growth in origin countries

Evidence use in policymaking in Kenya, Kerala (India) and Sri Lanka.

About the project

International migration is increasingly recognised for its economic contributions through remittances, labour mobility, and diaspora investment and expertise. Yet strong global evidence on these benefits does not always translate into sustained policy action.

This project investigates how and under what conditions migration is recognised and leveraged as a driver of economic growth in origin countries, and how evidence on migration’s economic value is used, ignored, contested, or reinterpreted in policymaking across Kenya, Kerala (India), and Sri Lanka. Specifically, it examines international remittance policy, labour migration for development, and diaspora engagement policies.

The project explores:

1) Is evidence on the economic value of migration under-utilised in economic policymaking? Why?
Hypothesis: political and institutional barriers, not a lack of evidence, explain low uptake.

2) When migration-related economic evidence informs policy, how is it used?
Hypothesis: Evidence is used instrumentally or strategically, rather than conceptually or routinely.

3) How do emerging factors such as AI and gender perspectives affect evidence use in migration policymaking?
Hypothesis: AI tools and gendered perspectives increasingly shape how evidence is produced, legitimised, and taken up, but remain under-explored in origin-country contexts.

Why this project matters

Across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, migration-related economic flows and opportunities are central to national development priorities. At the same time, migration often remains politically sensitive and is frequently shaped by securitised narratives, which can sideline its strategic economic potential.

Despite a robust global evidence base, including the growing prominence of remittances as a major external financial flow in many low- and middle-income countries, policy reform has often been uneven, short-lived, or disconnected from available evidence.

This study addresses that gap by tracing how evidence about migration’s economic contributions enters (or fails to enter) decision-making, and why.

Purpose and policy relevance

The project contributes directly to the Research for Evidence-Informed Policy-Making (RCC) agenda by examining the political and institutional dynamics that shape evidence use in economic policymaking in low- and middle-income settings.

By comparing three distinct contexts, the study will help policymakers, researchers, and practitioners better understand:

  • What enables credible, timely evidence to influence policy

  • Where and why evidence gets blocked, reshaped, or selectively mobilised

  • How emerging forces, especially AI tools and gender perspectives, are changing evidence ecosystems in migration policy

Methodology

The study uses a comparative mixed-methods design, combining qualitative, quantitative, and documentary approaches.

Qualitative research

  • 15–20 key informant interviews per country

  • 2–3 focus group discussions per country

  • Participants include policymakers, researchers, and diaspora stakeholders

  • Focus: tracing how evidence moves through policy processes and where it changes

Quantitative research

  • Online diaspora stakeholder survey (approx. 100 respondents across countries)

  • Focus: perceptions of migration’s economic value and how evidence is used in policy

Documentary research

Review of:

  • National development plans and migration strategies

  • Administrative data and technical reports

  • Key international sources (e.g., World Bank, ILO, IOM)

Expected contributions

The research will generate actionable insights into:

  • How and why economic evidence is (and is not) used in origin-country migration policymaking

  • The institutional and political conditions that enable credible evidence to influence decisions

  • The evolving roles of gender and AI in shaping future evidence ecosystems

Ultimately, the project aims to inform more evidence-driven, inclusive, and forward-looking migration policies that support economic development.

Expected completion: Early 2027

Partners

Led by PoliSync Centre for International Policy Engagement, Geneva

In partnership with the African Migration and Development Policy Centre and the International Institute of Migration and Development

Funding

Funded under the Research Commissioning Centre (RCC) Evidence-Informed Policy-Making initiative, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), awarded through a competitive funding round.

Contact / collaboration

Interested in evidence-informed migration policy, diaspora engagement, remittances, labour mobility, gender inclusion, or AI-enabled policy analysis? This project welcomes opportunities to connect with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working across these areas.