North African migration systems: evolution, transformations and development linkages



Título del documento: North African migration systems: evolution, transformations and development linkages
Revista: Migración y desarrollo
Base de datos: CLASE
Número de sistema: 000331015
ISSN: 1870-7599
Autores: 1
Instituciones: 1University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire. Reino Unido
Año:
Periodo: Jul-Dic
Número: 7
Paginación: 65-95
País: México
Idioma: Inglés
Tipo de documento: Artículo
Enfoque: Analítico, descriptivo
Resumen en inglés The paper first analyses how the evolution and transformation of North African migration systems has been an integral part of more general processes of political and economic change. Subsequently, the extent to which policies can enhance the development impact of migration is assessed by analysing the case of Morocco, the region’s leading emigration country. Over 3 million people of Moroccan descent (out of 30 million Moroccans) live abroad, mainly in Europe. Since the 1960s, the Moroccan state has stimulated migration for economic and political reasons, while simultaneously trying to maintain a tight control on «its» emigrants. However, fearing remittance decline, a remarkable shift occurred after 1989. Along with policies to facilitate holiday visits and remittances, the Moroccan state adopted positive attitudes towards migrants’ transnational civic activism, integration and double citizenship. Huge increases in remittances (well over $5 billion in 2006) and holiday visits suggest that these policies have been partially successful. However, these policies could only work because of macro–economic stability and continuing emigration, and because they were part a more general process of liberalisation of Moroccan society. Although remittances have positively affected living conditions and economic growth in sending regions, remaining constraints such as corruption, legal insecurity and a lack of trust in the state, explain why many migrants are still hesitant to invest and do not return. The lesson is that targeted «diaspora policies» have limited effects if they are not accompanied by general political reform and economic progress creating attractive environments to return to and invest in
Disciplinas: Ciencia política,
Economía,
Demografía
Palabras clave: Doctrinas y corrientes políticas,
Condiciones económicas,
Asentamientos humanos,
Marruecos,
Africa del Norte,
Remesas,
Migración,
Migración internacional,
Políticas de migración internacional,
Unión Europea,
Gobierno,
Mar Mediterráneo,
Historia regional
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