www.undp.org.mx/desarrollohumano migration, poverty and human development luis f. lopez-calva undp,...

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Migration, Poverty Migration, Poverty and Human and Human

DevelopmentDevelopmentLuis F. Lopez-CalvaLuis F. Lopez-Calva

UNDP, Latin America and the CaribbeanUNDP, Latin America and the Caribbean


Contents

1. Migration and human development

2. Migration and local conditions

3. Migration abroad and human development

4. Migration and remittances

5. Migratory policy in Mexico


Migration and

Human Development


The importance of migration

11 million people born in Mexico lived in the US in 2005

Remittances were 3.5% of the GDP in 2005

2.7% of the population changed residence from one State to another in 2005


Migration and Local

Conditions


• The poorest people do not represent a high migration group


Probability of migration and per capita income

Pro

ba

bilt

y

Per capita income 0 5000 10000 15000 20000

.00228

.014914

Official urban poverty line

3.5 times the official urban poverty line


Poverty and migration

The poor are not the main group that migrates…

…but migration among the poor is increasing

The poor migrate in response to economic shocks…

…but as social networks expand the poor migrate as a planned decision


Migration as an individual decision

In 2005, almost 11 million people born in Mexico lived permanently or temporarily in US.

Evidence shows that the principal trigger to migrate is the development gap between regions.

According to the theory of Spatial Localization differentials include not only salaries but also another indicators of living conditions in general.


Migration as an individual decision

The migration decision reveals the evaluation of cost-benefit individuals make to several dimensions like economic welfare, cultural change, family welfare, social and community rights.

However, the migration decision involves imperfect information and idiosyncratic conditions that affect the final decision.


Cost of Migration

Practically all migrants crossing without documents need “help” from a coyote (pollero).

The average cost of a coyote in 2003 was US$1,600.

The relationship between the demand for coyotes and their cost is controversial though it has been found that elasticity is low. This suggests that coyote price could be a second order parameter.

This argument supports the hypothesis that policies of border tightening do not have the expected effect in the reduction of migratory flows


Price and percentage of migrants using coyote(migrants crossing without documents)

Cost of Migration


Effects of Border Tightening

• Border tightening policies since the 90s DID NOT reduced migration flows

• The main effects are:– People stay longer, they do not go back (reduction in

“circular” seasonal migration)– They bring their families– The cost of migration (coyotes and other costs)

increases– Routes change and conditions worsen


Migration and Education

• Historically, migrants have, on average, higher levels of education than those non-migrants in their communities, though lower than in the receiving places in the United States

• The above is especially true for women, a population group where migrants have a schooling differential higher than in the case of men with respect to those non-migrants within their own communities

• Migration tends to reduce inequality in levels of education, at least in the short-run


Migration and Education

• Remittances promote greater investment in primary and secondary education for the sons of migrant families, with a favorable bias for girls; and

• Migration discourages investment in middle-high and high levels of education (individuals of 16 to 18 years of age) in communities with a migrant tradition.


Migration and Health

The relationship between migration an health is overly complex.

It is necessary to examine the process in three different moments: the origin, the route to the north, and the destination.

Migration has negative consequences for the family dynamics of those staying (depressive syndromes, anxiety and other mental disorders).

Remittances have been shown to have a positive effect on children’s health (lower infant mortality and higher weight at birth)


Migration and

Remittances


There is an inverse U-shaped relationship between human development and migratory intensity.

Remittances and development

Human development index and migratory intensity index by municipality, 2000.


Income and Remittances The states receiving more income from remittances as a share of its GDP are Michoacan and Zacatecas, followed by Oaxaca and Guerrero


The program 3x1 for migrants is created in 2002 by the Mexican Federal government.

Supporting initiatives of productive projects and social infrastructure from migrants abroad.

Beneficiaries are people living in poverty in any of the 31 states of Mexico.

Projects are funded as follows: 25% from federal Govt; 25% from migrant organizations; 50% from local and state governments.

Program 3x1


Final Comments


Final Comments

Migration is a way of exercising the effective freedom of people.

Public policy should favor that the exercising of such an option is a legitimate way of individual development.

The purpose of any development strategy must be the raising of welfare and freedom levels for concrete individuals in a sustainable way.


Final Comments

The most commendable migratory policy is a strategy of sustainable local development

Only convergence through regional development strategies can eventually stabilize migration flows

www.undp.org.mx/desarrollohumano migration, poverty and human development luis f. lopez-calva undp,...

Documents

migration decision

probability of migration

importance of migration

reduced migration

cost of migration coyotes

high migration group

mexico slide

circular seasonal migration