The concept of development has shifted in meaning over recent decades. In turn, ideas about the links between development and migration have also changed. Broadly speaking, these ideas have been alternating between optimistic and pessimistic views (De Haas, 2010a; Lélé, 1991; Giddins, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002). However, both these views ignore social and cultural factors, assuming that migrants act in automated ways dictated by economic considerations only. However, we cannot understand the relationship between migration and development if we look only at the economic drivers of migration, which reduce the actual complexity of human desires and decisions.
One of these social and cultural factors is that the impact of migration on development depends on government strategies. Migration is determined and affected by issues and dynamics at the level of households, of local and national policy frameworks and of international geopolitical realities. Each of these levels can affect aspirations to migrate and outcomes of migration. At the same time, the realities of migration can also have impacts at household, local, national and international levels, too. Approaching migration with this complexity in mind allows policymakers to understand not only how migration can support sustainable development, but also how policies at different levels can affect migration patterns and outcomes.