This policy brief draws on research undertaken among Ethiopian migrants to South Africa and their families to look at the transformational role of remittances and migrant investments, as well as the challenges migrants face en route to and within South Africa and in Hadiya upon their return.
It considers policy interventions to enhance the development potential of migration, including:
- Ethiopia should secure bilateral labour agreements with South Africa to ensure that the rights of migrants are protected.
- A moratorium should be placed on informal land markets to address rising inequality and protect farmers from migrant land speculators.
- Efforts are needed to improve the investment climate to incentivize and channel migrant investments into productive sectors.
- Investment opportunities should be tailored to migrant needs and their comparative advantages – and migrants should be encouraged to develop a sense of social responsibility.
- Joint investment ventures are needed to increase the visibility of migrants and strengthen their voices vis-à-vis government stakeholders.
- Providing business skills training for returnee migrants can ensure that investments generate wider development impacts.
Access 'Enhancing the Development Potential of South-South Migration' here.