Global Perspectives on Migration and Development

Abstract

Irregular migration was spotlighted at the Puerto Vallarta Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) as a critical theme for development: it reduces the potential of migration to contribute to development but can also result from the lack of development-friendly policies of country of origin and destination. The main cause of irregular migration is less a disregard of regulations by migrants than a continuing inequality within and between countries, and the failure of states to create adequate migration regimes to meet economic demand. Mismatches between entry rules and labor demand, bureaucratic complexities, and delays contrast sharply with rapid transport and communication technologies that facilitate cross-border labor flows and take little account of the changing social dynamics of migration. This chapter examines regional patterns of irregular migration and policy responses and offers some brief case studies on Mexico, Italy, Turkey, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia. Reflecting the discussions in the GFMD, the paper shows how most efforts at combating irregular migration have been difficult to implement and produced mixed results. Comprehensive, inclusive, and cooperative approaches were needed, and the GFMD had succeeded in bringing more countries of destination to the table on this issue.