Targets that could benefit from the potential of migration and migrants

This case study forms part of a series of case studies on good practices, lessons learnt and recommendations extracted from the projects supported by the UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) to enhance migration management for local development. The experience of the JMDI shows that the most effective initiatives are anchored with local or regional authorities and carried out in a multi-stakeholder and participatory approach, including migrants and migrants’ associations or diaspora.

In view of the developmental impact of migration, Bangladesh has declared migration as a major thrust sector in Bangladesh, and as such migration has found extensive place throughout the Sixth "Five Year Plan" of Bangladesh which operates from 2011-2015. Major actions have also been initiated on migration governance. These include activities in legislative, policy, and institutional areas.

Pakistan and China are engaged in a partnership to build China-Pakistan Economic Corridors (CPEC) which aims to enhance connectivity between the two countries through building up of highways and railroads. The goal is to spur economic activity for the mutual benefit of both Pakistan and China as well as for the entire region. 

Kiron Open Higher Education  is a social start-up founded in 2014 with the aim of removing existing barriers and provide higher education to refugees. The university  offers an innovative combination of online and offline learning to provide accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective education. Kiron  is investing in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to facilitate integration of migrants through education.

FUNZI  is a joint initiative by a start up and the government of Finland to carve a map of the places where refugees are arriving in Finland and to provide them all the information they need on the country. In 2015, they launched a mobile information and learning service for asylum seekers and refugees.  The information for the newcomers on the country is in several languages. 

Prometeo Viejos Sabios is an initiative established by the government of Ecuador  to do skill mapping of diaspora and using the skills of diaspora to meet the needs of the country.  This includes identifying  the skilled migrants living abroad and the kind of projects they engage with and based on the needs of the country. They try to attract the migrants back temporarily or permanently so that they could contribute to scientific or health projects in Ecuador.  

The Programa RAICES, Argentina is an initiative to reach out to expatriate researchers and encourage them to contribute to the national S&T system ant to develop scientific cooperation and research networks using connectivity.  Migrants can contribute from abroad and this is one way the Argentinian government can foster the return of skilled migrants.

The National Competitiveness Foundation in Armenia  is an initiative to attract the investment of diaspora using connectivity to help boost the economy in the home country. It is a public-private partnership established by the Government of Armenia and a group of leading private sector representatives. The purpose of the Foundation is to develop, implement and monitor projects in sectors - mainly education, health, health care and tourism - where there is a significant unrealized potential for development and a clear competitive advantage with a regional and global context. 

Since 2002, South Korea organises the World Korean Business Convention from time to time that relies on connectivity for migrants abroad. The Purpose is to rely on diaspora to foster trade and promote Korean export, by building an integrated global network of domestic and overseas Korean businesses

UNHCR is developing a five year strategy called 'A Global Strategy on Connectivity for Refugees and Digital Operations.' This strategy will focus on enhancing access to connectivity for all the refugees and the host communities through digital technology which will further improve protection, assistance and provide solutions.