Poor people without borders

Migrants are the world champions of philanthropy

590 billion dollars a year is the aid that migrants sent in 2020 (last recorded year) to their families and to small projects in their villages, according to the annual Global Philanthropy Tracker report from Indiana University (USA). In the following years, globally, remittance flows are estimated to have increased by 5% to $831 billion in 2022 and are expected to increase again by 1% to $840 billion in 2023.

In response to those who take sides against migrants with superficial slogans such as "let's help them at home", migrants do not hold back and send a portion of the paltry wages they earn at our home to their home. In the global solidarity ranking, migrants are among the best philanthropists in the world, far exceeding all other international aid combined. In fact, in the same year public development assistance reached 180 billion dollars, international philanthropy contributed 70 billion dollars. Also due to the financial crisis induced by Covid, private investments amounted to only 400 million dollars.

The enormous quantity of remittances, however, does not make any noise in the media and represents an important topic completely forgotten in the debate on migration. The diaspora of migrant workers is the world champion of aid for sustainable development, it does not suffer from wrong or failed projects and corruption, but it is never listened to in international consultation forums on development policies.

Observing the destination of the remittances shows that they are the most effective donations. During economic crises or natural disasters, migrant remittances increase as migrants themselves choose to cut their cost of living, thus cushioning remittance recipients from economic downturns. During the three years of the Covid pandemic, public development assistance fell by 1%, private philanthropic aid to poor countries fell by 0.5%, private investments almost completely disappeared, but remittances from migrants have increased by 19%.

The world champion of migrant remittances is India with 83 billion dollars in 2020.

Good practices to improve awareness of this effective development aid tool include advocacy campaigns, transparency (when financing a project in a developing country the impact of migrant remittances in that country is highlighted ), employer initiatives to contribute to migrants' remittances, creation of media initiatives to raise awareness of this reality.

In short: migrant remittances are the unsung global champion of development aid. Let's know.

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Sandro Calvani

NP Ottobre 2023