International migration diversification: a new perspectives to migration management

Abstract

Diversifying migration for development is an option that much has been discussed and yet little has been done in sending countries. The potential of international migration being harnessed for economic and social development have gained significant importance. Some initiatives have been discussed and launched to manage international migration. Some of these efforts are aimed at addressing the issue of containing the outflow and encouraging return of migrants to help with nation building. But these programmes are not adequate, and therefore more needs to be done. This study aims to review the international migration literature to examine the trend of migration and advocate for its diversification for development in sending countries. Some countries have courted the idea of diversifying migration but none have taken on the challenge. This study provides a precursor for policy makers to better understand international migration trends, options and strategies that can lead to diversification. The way forward for diversifying is a call for empirical studies to comparatively weight the options and develop short, medium and long term strategies. The question is whether policy makers in sub-Saharan Africa will take on the challenge to manage and transform international migration especially of the highly skilled. The paper calls for a different perspective in managing migration and contributes to the literature on international migration diversification for sending countries.