Demographic change, international migration & development: Keynote Lecture by Philippe Fargues

7th Migration and Development Conference
Philippe Fargues, Director of the Migration Policy Centre, EUI
Abstract: Demography is not only a contributing factor to migration and development separately, but also a crucial link between them. The presentation will firstly review the impact of international migration on the demographic transition in origin countries. Drawing on a paper of 2006, it will suggest that the models and ideas migrants are exposed to in the destination countries, and which they transfer to non-migrant communities in the origin countries, disseminate behaviours leading to low birth rates. New evidence from the Arab countries supports the ideational remittances hypothesis. The impact of demographic change in origin countries on international migration will be examined in a second part. As a result of two trends --family building is delayed, but age at migration remains stable- an outstanding shift is taking place in the situation of individuals at the moment they migrate as well as in their motivation for migrating. Until recently, migrants had a family left behind. Their migration was motivated by the need to feed their family and their goal was altruistic. Today, migrants are increasingly single individuals with no spouse and no children. Their goal is individualistic. If they continue to send money to their country of origin, it is increasingly to prepare their own return or to manage a safety net for themselves. A shift from a remittances-driven to a human capital-driven pattern of migration is taking place. Policy recommendations will be drawn from these two arguments.