The ACSRM explores the migration, development, and remittances topics, one of the fundamental priorities of Africa’s migration agenda.
The ACSRM aims to strengthen statistics, data collection, and analysis of the migration-remittances-development nexus. It examines the patterns and trends of remittance flows in the context of intra-African and extra-continental migration, their development impacts, and the policy implications to strengthen the development contribution of remittances and address the challenges that hinder its development potential.
The ACSRM aims to capacitate African Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in mainstreaming migration into development policies and strategies.
Migration is often considered a copying strategy to address poor living conditions and improve resilience to socioeconomic shocks and natural disasters through remittances, i.e., the money sent by migrants. Remittances can be used for poverty alleviation through investment in education, health, food security, employment create, or income-generating activities.
Diaspora can foster development if there is a conducive environment for diasporas’ engagement and effective implementation of diaspora engagement for development strategies. Governments of countries of origin strive to foster the development contribution of the diaspora, for instance, by setting up national diaspora focal points/ desks and or institutions in charge of diaspora issues; by granting dual citizenship to their nationals abroad, by mapping their diasporas (“diaspora mapping”); by investing in the protection of their nationals abroad; and by facilitating the transfer of remittances, skills, knowledge, and knowledge and transnational development linkages for the benefit of the countries of origin.
