The Complex Effects of Development Aid on Migration

Does development aid curb migration? Researchers Mauro Lanati and Rainer Thiele show how aid can deter would-be migrants when it goes to public services, but argue that it would take an unrealistic increase in aid to significantly lower emigration rates.

[...] In the past, donor nations generally responded to refugee movements by providing humanitarian assistance. More recently, the focus has shifted toward long-term development aid, which donors hope will ultimately reduce incentives for emigration. This is exemplified by recent E.U. agreements with Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, the main countries of first asylum for Syrian refugees. Our research shows that donors have not only changed their rhetoric, but also their behavior: Since the early 2000s, higher numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as refugees in countries of first asylum, have led to higher allocations of long-term development aid. [...]

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