Cirkulär migration och utveckling - kartläggning av ... - Regeringen

SOU 2010:40 Summary
origin, the country of destination as well as the individual and
hence produce a ”triple-win” (“win-win-win”).
Every year migrants all over the world send home large sums of
money, known as remittances, to their families and relatives in the
country of origin. These flows are private funds that make an
important contribution to development, not just for the recipient but
also for society as a whole by stimulating consumption and increasing
citizens’ investments in social services such as education and health
care. This creates employment which in its turn generates income.
A major share of the remittances are sent through informal
channels.
The administrative costs of remittances in many cases amount
to between 10 and 20 per cent of the remitted amount today. In
order to further the development effect of remittances, it is of
major importance to make it easier for migrants to find the cheapest
ways of transferring money and reduce transaction costs.
Remittances may also take the form of a transfer of values, ideas
and contact networks. Today there is growing interest in the social
remittances as bearers of values of fundamental rights, democracy
and gender equality but also in order to increase understanding of
the social context that affects migrants. This impact takes place
both in the country of origin and in the country of destination.
A country’s diaspora, that is to say people who have left their
countries of origin and are dispersed across the world, is an economic
force to be reckoned with and these people are increasingly
perceived as “agents of change”. For Sweden’s part too, it is
important that the diaspora groups’ contribution to development
in the country of origin is utilised, and also that society is more
actively engaged in and supports the diaspora groups’ cooperation
with the relevant authorities, private enterprise and NGOs.
The flight of human capital, often termed brain drain, is a real
problem for some countries of origin, above all in certain sectors.
However, the predominant view today is that the advantages of
migration outweigh the disadvantages. Circular migration can
counteract the negative consequences of migration through a builtin
element of return of know-how to the country of origin.
Increasing international trade is one of the strongest features of
globalisation. International trade flows tie countries and regions
ever closer to one another and the role of migration is increasingly
emphasised today when trade flows are studied and economic
exchanges between countries are promoted. Barriers to trade in the
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