International migration and the downturn: assessing the impacts of the global financial downturn on migration, poverty and human well-being

This paper provides a conceptual overview of the impacts of the 2008 global financial downturn in the context of international migration and presents some initial evidence from the wider development literature. A human well-being approach is proposed as a lens for analysing the impacts of the crisis on poverty and migration outcomes. This approach offers greater holism in analysis by considering the interaction between material and psychosocial dimensions. This analysis suggests that existing policy framed within 'immigration' discourses is insufficient to manage the complexities of a postcrisis world and argues for greater adoption of developmental approaches in shaping migration policy.