Policies and Politics in Diaspora Contribution: Effects of Migrant Sending and Receiving Government Policies on Diaspora Contribution to the Home Country - Including a Case Study on the Bosnian Diaspora in Germany
Author
Graafland, Puck
Term
4. term
Publication year
2012
Submitted on
2012-06-30
Pages
86
Abstract
Mange mennesker bor i udlandet, men bevarer tætte bånd til deres hjemland; denne gruppe kaldes ofte en diaspora. Politikere forventer i stigende grad, at diasporaer fra udviklingslande bidrager til social og økonomisk udvikling derhjemme. Denne undersøgelse spørger, hvad der gør det lettere for diasporaer at bidrage, og ser på rollerne for både afsenderlandet (hjemlandet) og modtagerlandet (værtslandet). Med Brinkerhoffs model for regeringsroller vurderes, hvordan politikker, der fastsætter retning, fjerner barrierer og stiller ressourcer til rådighed, former det bidragsmiljø, som diasporaer agerer i. Derefter anvendes Hollifields liberale paradoks—spændingen mellem åbne økonomier og politisk pres for grænsekontrol—samt Delgado Wise og Márquez Covarrubias’ perspektiv på nordlig dominans for at belyse, hvorfor disse politikker ser ud, som de gør. Afhandlingen argumenterer for tre nøgleelementer: et mandaterende, generelt udviklingsmiljø i hjemlandet (klare mål og regler, der værdsætter diasporainddragelse); faciliterende migration-og-udviklingsstrategier i begge lande (sammenhængende støtte og koordinering); og en ressourcerende tilgang til mobilitet af personer og kapital (lettere at rejse og investere). Et casestudie af bosniere i Tyskland viser, hvordan politik kan spænde ben for et sådant muligt miljø: Bosnien mangler en officiel diasporapolitik på grund af politisk uvillighed og manglende konsensus, mens restriktive tyske indvandringspolitikker modvirker lovende initiativer for migration og udvikling.
Many people live abroad but keep strong ties to their homeland; this group is often called a diaspora. Policymakers increasingly expect diasporas from developing countries to support social and economic development back home. This study asks what makes it easier for diasporas to contribute, and looks at the roles of both the home (sending) and host (receiving) governments. Using Brinkerhoff’s model of government roles, the study assesses how policies that set direction, reduce barriers, and provide resources shape the contribution environment for diasporas. It then draws on Hollifield’s liberal paradox—the tension between open economies and political pressures for border control—and on Delgado Wise and Márquez Covarrubias’ perspective on Northern dominance to explore why these policies take the forms they do. The paper argues that three elements are crucial: a mandating, general development environment in the home country (clear goals and rules that value diaspora engagement); facilitating migration-and-development strategies in both countries (coherent support and coordination); and a resourcing stance on the mobility of people and capital (making it easier to move and invest. A case study of Bosnians in Germany shows how politics can obstruct this enabling environment: Bosnia lacks an official diaspora policy due to political unwillingness and lack of consensus, while restrictive German immigration policies undermine promising migration-and-development initiatives.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Documents