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Migration
Human migration can be the result of different causes. In many countries where SDC is engaged people leave their area or country when they are in danger or suffer from poverty. In SDC's partner countries poverty is widespread and it is almost always caused or aggravated by structural, long-term unemployment or underemployment. Unemployment puts workers into an unfavourable negotiating position and allows employers to pay low wages, offer uncertain contracts and provide indecent working conditions. In such a situation many workers, especially the younger ones, tend to migrate from their area or from their country into labour markets, where there is high demand, continuous employment and better pay. International workforce migrationIn international workforce migration we distinguish between Countries of Origin (CoO) and countries of destination (CoD). As a rule CoDs are in a strong position, as the supply from CoOs appears as endless, and different CoOs may compete to export their surplus workforce, as to alleviate the pressure on their domestic labour markets. CoDs often split their labour markets into two segments with favourable conditions for their own citizens and reduced offers for expatriate workers. There is a further differentiation in terms of skill levels: Lowly qualified workers often get a virtual minimum pay, often less than assumed by the migrant, and minimum attention in terms of living conditions and promotion. Those low wages have spurred labour-intensive production processes, and while CoD Governments have visions of becoming "knowledge" economies, an army of scarcely trained helpers still abound in industry, agriculture and services. SDC works in this field with a mission to improve the situation of migrating workers and their families. Among a 'basket' of support instruments and services, to protect migrating workers from exploitation and fraud and to take care of families left behind, special VSD courses in the CoOs can be an effective means to uplift migrating workers from the least rewarding level of unskilled labourers into tradespersons with at least a basic set of skills and knowledge in occupations which are in demand. It appears that intense courses with a duration of few weeks can make the difference.
Such courses are effective when training costs (course fees) and related expenses (opportunity costs, accommodation) can be later recovered by higher wages. Examples show that the recovery period could as short as 6-12 months, and the wage differential between an unskilled and a basically-skilled worker could be around 20-25% (example of Middle East).
Normative Documents
SDC
Based on a comprehensive approach that encompasses all forms of human mobility, the GPMFD ensures a coherent engagement on migration within the SDC and together with its partners in the Federal Administration. It allows consistent implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in line with Switzerland’s foreign migration policy. The present GPMFD Programme Framework 2022–25 represents the strategic orientation of the SDC’s engagement on migration. It focuses on the following three components: (i) safe labour migration, (ii) inclusion and social cohesion for migrants and their host communities, and (iii) migrants’ contribution to the sustainable development of their countries of origin.
Working Aids
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Vocational skills development (VSD) supports individual development and is a powerful tool to integrate migrants and forcibly displaced populations into local economies and societies. The better educated and trained migrants are, the more they can take advantage of the opportunities migration offers and the greater the benefits for both countries of destination as well as countries of origin. Migration and VSD are both important topics of the Dispatch on Switzerland’s International Cooperation 2021-24. This working tool brings the two topics together. It offers a structured analysis process that helps you to better integrate migrants into your VSD programs, or to use VSD as an intervention strategy in migration projects. The tool was developed jointly by the SDC Networks Employment and Income as well as Migration and Development.
Relevant News
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18 Nov 2022
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17 Nov 2022
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29 May 2022
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09 Mar 2021
 18 November 2022
IED (now part of E+E) and FCHR thematic units have engaged on a workstream to provide SDC staff with practical guidance on i) how to plan and implement IED projects in fragile contexts, taking into account the particular challenges of fragile contexts and ii) how IED projects can go beyond the minimalist approach of doing no harm (working in conflict/ fragility) by explicitly contributing to reduce fragility (working on conflict/fragility). Link to the guidance sheet This practical guidance sheet should be used as additional practical tool together with the slide deck and FAQ published on the shareweb (links below): Slide Deck: Inclusive economic development (IED) in fragile contexts FAQ: IED in fragile contexts Slide Deck
17 November 2022
Village Capital with the support of its partners at the Impact-Linked Finance Fund, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Austrian Development Agency have launched the Catalyzing Financial Inclusion: Gender-Inclusive Fintech Solutions for Migrants report. This report shares insight on the financial inclusion obstacles disenfranchised migrant populations (especially women migrants) face in Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South and Southeast Asia – and highlights innovative, tech-driven solutions to these challenges. Link to the report
29 May 2022
Social protection plays a central role to Leave No One Behind (LNOB) and to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Social protection is a set of public and private initiatives designed to provide protection for all against social and economic risks across the life-cycle and ensure sustainable livelihoods. Well-designed social protection systems ensure a minimum income and equitable access to essential services for the poor and vulnerable, enable people to cope with shocks and ensure dignity, social cohesion and reduce (gender) inequality. A dedicated page of the network Poverty & Wellbeing provides an overview of SDC's learning and engagement in social protection and summarises the global debate and evidence in development as well as humanitarian contexts. For more information on LNOB and IED - go to page LNOB - Inclusion & Exclusion
09 March 2021
The Swiss and the U.S. Government joined hands to initiate the Safe and Resilient Migrant Workers (SRMW) project in Sri Lanka. On the 2nd of March, SRMW, which is part of SDC's 'Safe Labor Migration Program Phase IV', was formally launched. The project is designed to make overseas employment safer and more rewarding, both financially and professionally, by providing better occupational information and by increasing the skill levels of Sri Lankans who go abroad for work. >> Read more
Relevant Events
16 Jun 2022
16 June 2022
16 June 2022
16 June
Savings and Credit Forum:Hiding in Plain Sight: The Business Case of Migrants' Financial InclusionPlease find all the resources (incl. recording) of the event that took place on June 16, 2022, >> here <<
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