Publications
AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 7: Migration returnee database and contribution to local development in Thailand
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes migration as a catalyst for sustainable development. Migration contributes to the economy and social development in both sending and receiving countries. For instance, migrants spend on consumption in the host countries, and also send remittances back home. Thailand has sent migrants overseas in large numbers since the 1970s. After the political situation changed when the US military shut down operations in Udonthani province, some 100,000 migrants left to work in the Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In the 5th National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) (1982-1986), Thailand’s development strategy formally included promoting out-migration, reflecting the growing importance of migrants’ contribution to the national economy. Read more…
AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 6: Migration and COVID-19 in context: Labor migration in Ethiopia and its implications for policy responses
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected global mobility since its outbreak in early 2020. It has taken the lives of millions and led to wholesale changes at all levels in the way people interact, move and work. By mid-March 2022, at least 476 million people had contracted the infection, and some six million died from COVID-19. Among those most affected by the pandemic have been migrants, often from communities that were already vulnerable due to having limited economic, social and other resources at their disposal to be able to establish resilience and overcome shocks to household livelihoods. This brief examines the effects of COVID-19 on labor migration in Ethiopia as well as the government’s responses to these effects and their implications. Read more…
AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 5: Migration and COVID-19 in context: Labor migration and the agriculture sector in Nepal
International labor migration is the cornerstone of household livelihoods in rural Nepal. The country receives remittances equivalent to about a quarter of its gross domestic product annually. In the past two years, however, the international labor markets that Nepali workers depend on have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the first nationwide lockdown imposed in Nepal (and globally) in March 2020, and subsequent restrictions on mobility in the country and around the world, labor migration to India and other countries has been disrupted while there has also been an upsurge in return migration, often under conditions of distress. Read more…
- Examining migration governance: evidence of rising insecurities due to COVID-19 in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the context of global migration. From a migration perspective, the pandemic is a source of insecurities that challenge migrants, their livelihoods and migration governance. Meanwhile, curtailment in movement has led to economic decline affecting labour markets. For migrant origin and hosting countries, this poses multidimensional development challenges.
Read more..
- Migration, environmental change and agrarian transition in upland regions: learning from Ethiopia, Kenya and Nepal.
This paper analyses the relationship between cyclical labour migration and agrarian transition in the uplands of Nepal, Ethiopia and Kenya. It shows that while migration decision-making is linked to expanding capitalist markets, it is mediated by local cultural, political and ecological changes. Read more..
- Examining migration governance: evidence of rising insecurities due to COVID-19 in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
The manuscript ‘Examining migration governance: evidence of rising insecurities due to COVID-19 in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand’, authored by Asel Murzakulova (UCA), Mengistu Dessalegn (IWMI), and Neelambari Phalkey (UoB), was assessed by reviewers for the Journal Comparative Migration Studies, and was recommended for publication by the journal’s editor. The writing team worked on the requested revisions and consulted with the Steering Group before submitting the final version of the article at the beginning of July 2021. The paper is based on rapid research undertaken by the AGRUMIG consortium in 2020.
- Policy Brief No. 70: The Impact of Climate Change Induced and Environmental Challenges on Migration Dynamics in Rural Kyrgyzstan.
Environmental disasters and climate induced challenges heavily impact people’s livelihoods, especially those in the poorest segments of society who lack the adaptive resources and capabilities to respond accordingly. Read more..
- AGRUMIG Policy Briefs 3 & 4.
The third and fourth policy briefs in the AGRUMIG series, commissioned by the OSCE Academy in Bishkek have been published and are available on the AGRUMIG website. Policy Brief number 3, ‘The Precarity of Transnational Migration and the Covid-19 Pandemic: Addressing Female Return Migration in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan’ can be accessed here. The Russian translation is also available. Policy Brief number 4, ‘Covid-19 and Migration Uncertainty in Kyrgyzstan: To Leave or Stay and Earn? can be accessed here.
- AGRUMIG China Team publication ‘Mechanisation and efficiency in rice production in China.
Dr Shi Min, a member of the South China Agricultural University (SCAU) AGRUMIG team, has had a paper accepted by the Journal of Integrative Agriculture. The paper addresses the issue of mechanisation as a primary adaptation strategy – and is from AGRUMIG field sites. The findings confirm that mechanisation is unlikely to significantly impact yields, especially in fragmented plots – however, it is a necessity for dealing with labour scarcity. The paper’s policy recommendations regarding land transfer market development and mechanised chemical application also have relevance for AGRUMIG’s policy work in China. The full reference is: ‘Mechanisation and efficiency in rice production in China’ in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture 20(7): 2-14.
- Comparative Migration Studies article acceptance.
The manuscript ‘Examining migration governance: evidence of rising insecurities due to COVID-19 in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand’, authored by Asel Murzakulova (UCA), Mengistu Dessalegn (IWMI), and Neelambari Phalkey (UoB), was assessed by reviewers for the Journal Comparative Migration Studies, and was recommended for publication by the journal’s editor. The writing team worked on the requested revisions and consulted with the Steering Group before submitting the final version of the article at the beginning of July 2021. The paper is based on rapid research undertaken by the AGRUMIG consortium in 2020.
AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 1.Unprecedented levels of migration in today’s globalized economy are dramatically reshaping social, economic and political landscapes in sending and receiving countries. Read more..
- AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 2.Migration, particularly labor migration, is a complex social phenomenon with many facets. These include regular and irregular migration patterns, international and internal migration pathways, and short- and long-term movements.Read more..
- UCA-MSRI Research Paper No. 7:
Rural Migration in Kyrgyzstan: Drivers, Impact and GovernanceThe development of Kyrgyzstan reveals two important trends: declining agricultural production and a steady increase of remittances from labor migration. These trends suggest a transformative effect of migration, negating an overly simplistic investment effect of financial remittances on long standing livelihood activities.Read more..
- CAP Paper No. 247:
Migration and COVID-19: Challenges and Policy Responses in KyrgyzstanMigration is a part of everyday life for hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyzstan’s citizens. People move internally from rural areas to Bishkek and Osh for long-term employment or temporary work, and many go to Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and other countries.
- AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series – No. 3The Precarity of Transnational Migration and the Covid-19 Pandemic: Addressing Female Return Migration in Kyrgyzstan and TajikistanRead the full publication
- AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series No. 4:
COVID-19 and Migration Uncertainty in Kyrgyzstan: To Leave or Stay and Earn?Kyrgyzstan is one of the most remittance-dependent countries in the world. However, the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected remittance slows to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) generally, and remittance-dependent economies such as Kyrgyzstan have found themselves deeply vulnerable.Read the full publication here.
Media
Animated Video: Impact of Migration on Rural Development in Kyrgyzstan
Majlis Podcast: Bad News For The Remittance-Dependent In Central Asia
Irina Kuznetsova of the AGRUMIG Kyrgyzstan team contributes to a conversation on the drop in remittances to Central Asian countries. She discusses recent AGRUMIG project findings on the impact of Covid-19 on migrants from Kyrgyzstan and their families as well as shares her observations about Tajikistan.
Resources
Covid-Migration News Database, University of Vienna
How do international and national news outlets report on the impacts of Covid-19 on migrants? The database provides 3175 news headlines from 213 countries (as of 01/2021), sorted by e.g. country origin and destination.
