Enhancing the benefits of international migration through development financing: What is being done and where are the missed opportunities?

Migration is still treated as a problem to be contained, yet evidence shows that it can be a powerful driver of development. In developing countries, emigration is often viewed as a loss of talent, labour, and future growth.
However, research tells a different story: under the right conditions, migration can stimulate investment, facilitate the transfer of skills, and reduce poverty. The disconnect is striking. Of the approximately $40 billion invested in migration-related projects by the World Bank, the majority of funding is allocated to refugee hosting. Only a few target economic migration, supporting skills before departure, lowering remittance costs, or engaging with diaspora communities. This imbalance reflects funding priorities and political reluctance in countries of origin. Development
agencies have a key role here: to reframe migration as an opportunity, shift incentives, and foster partnerships that generate shared, sustainable benefits from mobility.