Nexus between migration and other transnational issues

Over the years, the notion of development has evolved. By the end of the 1980s, the concept of sustainability started to accompany the definition of development (see more in Migration and development).

Migration is both a development strategy and a development outcome. Migrants bring benefits to their new communities and play a role in improving the lives of communities in their countries of origin, contributing to positive sustainable development outcomes.

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development marks an important milestone in recognizing the interconnections between migration and sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda regards migration as a multidimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination. Target 10.7 calls for States to “Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.” Because the 2030 Agenda is multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral, it can be used to assess the impact of migration on a range of development issues and to also understand better how development can impact on migration and migrants.

Bilateral, regional and international trade regimes are beginning to have a profound effect on migration. The European Union’s evolution of a harmonized migration regime to serve as a counterpart to its customs union is one example. The agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020 includes migration-related provisions permitting freer movement of professionals, executives and others, providing international services from signatory countries (see Chapter 16 of the agreement). The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is another example, with trade in services often requiring greater freedom for service providers to move internationally.

However, trade agreements do not necessarily refer to migration when they set out the terms for mobility of persons across international borders. For example, the GATS agreement uses the term “movement of natural persons” in discussing this category. It defines natural persons are those “who are either service suppliers (such as independent professionals) or who work for a service supplier and who are present in another [World Trade Organization] member to supply a service” (World Trade Organization, n.d.). In other words, these individuals continue to be employed (or are self-employed) in their country of origin but undertake the work in another country. The agreement explicitly excludes people who are seeking jobs in the employment market of the destination country, as well as those seeking permanent residence.

The relationship between trade and migration is complex. Historically, trade and migration were seen as substitutes – if trade between two countries increased, migration would decrease. Political leaders sometimes justified eliminating trade barriers by arguing that such policies would reduce the need for migration by providing greater economic opportunities at home. The former President of Mexico famously stated during the negotiations of NAFTA that Mexico would prefer to send its tomatoes to the United States, rather than its tomato pickers. But the situation is more complex than this. Tomato pickers and others from Mexico still emigrated in the 1990s and early 2000s because wages were higher in the United States than in Mexico, even with freer trade arrangements. Over the long term, overall changes in the economy – many related to trade – did provide increased economic opportunities, slowing emigration in the late 2000s. Moreover, trade in services can be complementary to migration. The movement of natural persons regulated by trade agreements is similar to some forms of migration. And increases in migration can increase trade between countries, as migrants seek products made in their countries of origin, help companies overcome barriers to trade through their knowledge of the language and cultural norms of both countries, and invest in enterprises that export and/or import goods and services.

The interconnections between movements of people and security raise a number of issues relevant to migration management. Security can be defined in a number of different ways. Three concepts are particularly important:

• First, national security. This is the ability of a country to protect itself from the threat of violence or attack.
• Second, international or global security. This refers to the “military and diplomatic measures that nations and international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization] take to ensure mutual safety and security” (RAND Corporation, n.d.).
• Third, human security. Namely, “the right of people to live in freedom and dignity, free from poverty and despair” (United Nations General Assembly [UNGA], 2012). This encompasses a broad range of issues affecting personal well-being: economic, social, environmental, health and others.

Recognizing that there is a relationship between migration and security does not mean that migrants are security threats. In fact, they are much more often the victims of insecurity than the perpetrators of it. Moreover, migration can itself reduce security risks. As a study on violent extremism concluded:

As noted in Environmental drivers, environmental change can be a powerful driver of human mobility that affects countries throughout the world (Ionesco, Mokhnacheva and Gemenne, 2016). Migration, however, can also be a highly effective mechanism that helps people adapt to a changing environment (Lazcko and Aghazarm, 2009). Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) identified three forms of human mobility that may result from the short- and long-term impacts of climate and other environmental change:

• Migration, which often happens in anticipation of worsening impacts, such as loss of livelihood and habitat;
• Displacement, which is often in direct response to the impacts of acute natural hazards or environmentally induced conflict; and
• Planned relocation, which occurs when entire communities (or large segments of them) must move because the land they occupy cannot support human life at present or in the near term.

In December 2018, two international initiatives made recommendations to address the interconnections between migration, the environment and climate change: the UNFCCC Task Force on Displacement and the Global Compact for Migration. (See Migration, environment and climate change for further information on these interconnections and on the policy discussions that have been underway during the past decades.)

Migrants share in the health problems of those who do not move, but as well, they experience health issues unique to being migrants. The impact of migration on health varies depending on the ways that people move, from where and to where they go, their pre-existing health status and needs, and what their experiences are on route and at their destination. Those migrating into dirty and dangerous work situations may be at heightened risk for health problems. Those who experience trauma during any of the phases of migration may be at risk for mental health problems. Access to health care can be challenging for migrants. In some cases, they are not eligible for publicly funded health care. In other cases, they find it difficult to access services because of irregular status, poverty, or language and cultural barriers.

Often, those who migrate are younger and healthier at the time of entry. They may also have had healthier eating patterns in their country of origin. However, exposure to practices in the destination country (such as more access to fast food in middle- and high-income countries) can cause a deterioration in their overall health.

Understanding these complexities is necessary to ensure that: migrants benefit from the right to health; good public health practices are maintained; and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal 3.8 on universal health coverage, are achieved for all persons, including migrants. (See further information in Health and migration.)

• The interconnection between migration and other important transnational processes creates complexity in managing the movements of people. Migration patterns and trends are influenced by these processes, which are in turn affected by migration.
• To be effective, migration policies should take into account future trends in development, trade, security, the environment, and health.
• Migration policymakers and practitioners should be involved in policy discussions in the areas of development, trade, security, the environment and health in order to ensure that migration trends are taken into account in formulating these policies.