The Follow-up and Implementation Mandates of the Summit 2009 on Migration includes "22.We recognize that remittances are an important source of capital in many countries of the Hemisphere. We commit to take concrete actions to promote the establishment, as soon as possible, of necessary conditions, in order to achieve the goal of reducing by at least half the regional average cost of these transfers no later than 2008 and report on progress achieved at the next Summit of the Americas in Argentina in 2005. We will adopt, as needed or appropriate, measures such as: the promotion of competition between the providers of these services, the elimination of regulatory obstacles and other restrictive measures that affect the cost of these transfers, as well as the use of new technologies, while maintaining effective financial oversight (Declaration of Nuevo León)."
The Action Plan also includes: "196.Create and harmonize statistical information systems and foster the sharing of information and best practices through the use of new information and communications technologies, with the aim of promoting the modernization of migration management;(Plan of Action Québec)."
Looking forward to learn of what steps are taken to follow up on this action plan!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Defining the state of the art on remittances and return, Maastricht University, May 15
On Friday May 15th I participated in the sessions of the second day of the event in Maastricht that focused on return migration policy (I could not attend the day on remittances). Return policy is defined by initiatives that give incentives to those who migrated from a country to come back.
The cases presented looked at the main issues related to return migration policy, and what particularly caught my attentions was the question of physical versus virtual return.
The lack of success of “physical” return policies has showed that the focus needs to shift from expecting to make people come back to finding ways to “cultivate migrants loyalty and interaction, as a resource to tap for cooperation and development purposes, even if physical return would never take place.” (From the presentation of Paolo Boccagni)
The main channel to do this are ICTs. Not only governments but also migrant groups are looking into how to use ICTs to strengthen and leverage their relationships.
Of particular interest is the case of Ecuador, where the government made a conscious decision to talk of the “fifth region” instead of emigrants, and not long ago launched “Plan retorno,” that offers many services for Ecuadorians overseas. It makes use of web2.0 to interact with users and provides a form to fill out to join the program. They also link to IICD’s supported project, Ciudadania Informada, as a source to be up to date on Ecuadorian news.
Other cases presented included the ones of Poland, that is also using ICT to connect with the Polish community overseas, as well as the ones of India, China, and Taiwan. Among the risks of these services is the positive discrimination of migrants with respect to non-migrants, offering them extra benefits and information that regular non-migrants may not have access to.
For what was presented, it can be said that ICT can be of significance as related to migration in advancing development through several areas:
• Remittances and development: money sent play an important role in development and in many countries equal or surpass foreign aid, being used for basic needs as well as for livelihoods improvement and investments. Specific ICT projects aim to facilitate migrants sending money back home. One example is for people from the Philippines abroad on using mobile phone to make quick and direct wire transfers. There interest to work on how to expand and promote those solutions among other migrant groups! There is currently a call from FAO (see below) for that purpose.
• E-government: ICT is allowing governments to communicate and interact with citizens abroad as never before. Local and regional governments could benefit by creating spaces in their online services targeted to these groups.
• E-society: ICT allow citizens abroad not only to come together and meet up. They also have a role in influencing their country of origin and making their voice heard, as well as work on knowledge transfer projects to ‘give back’
• E-business: ICT facilitates off-shoring and outsourcing of services, motivated in many cases by diaspora members.
In conclusion, the role of ICTs as the main venue to connect migrant communities among themselves and with their country of origin is just starting and it is expected to see it grow, with all the personal, professional and business opportunities that that will bring. I am experiencing it and look forward to see it flourish!
The cases presented looked at the main issues related to return migration policy, and what particularly caught my attentions was the question of physical versus virtual return.
The lack of success of “physical” return policies has showed that the focus needs to shift from expecting to make people come back to finding ways to “cultivate migrants loyalty and interaction, as a resource to tap for cooperation and development purposes, even if physical return would never take place.” (From the presentation of Paolo Boccagni)
The main channel to do this are ICTs. Not only governments but also migrant groups are looking into how to use ICTs to strengthen and leverage their relationships.
Of particular interest is the case of Ecuador, where the government made a conscious decision to talk of the “fifth region” instead of emigrants, and not long ago launched “Plan retorno,” that offers many services for Ecuadorians overseas. It makes use of web2.0 to interact with users and provides a form to fill out to join the program. They also link to IICD’s supported project, Ciudadania Informada, as a source to be up to date on Ecuadorian news.
Other cases presented included the ones of Poland, that is also using ICT to connect with the Polish community overseas, as well as the ones of India, China, and Taiwan. Among the risks of these services is the positive discrimination of migrants with respect to non-migrants, offering them extra benefits and information that regular non-migrants may not have access to.
For what was presented, it can be said that ICT can be of significance as related to migration in advancing development through several areas:
• Remittances and development: money sent play an important role in development and in many countries equal or surpass foreign aid, being used for basic needs as well as for livelihoods improvement and investments. Specific ICT projects aim to facilitate migrants sending money back home. One example is for people from the Philippines abroad on using mobile phone to make quick and direct wire transfers. There interest to work on how to expand and promote those solutions among other migrant groups! There is currently a call from FAO (see below) for that purpose.
• E-government: ICT is allowing governments to communicate and interact with citizens abroad as never before. Local and regional governments could benefit by creating spaces in their online services targeted to these groups.
• E-society: ICT allow citizens abroad not only to come together and meet up. They also have a role in influencing their country of origin and making their voice heard, as well as work on knowledge transfer projects to ‘give back’
• E-business: ICT facilitates off-shoring and outsourcing of services, motivated in many cases by diaspora members.
In conclusion, the role of ICTs as the main venue to connect migrant communities among themselves and with their country of origin is just starting and it is expected to see it grow, with all the personal, professional and business opportunities that that will bring. I am experiencing it and look forward to see it flourish!
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