Theory and Practice? A Comparative Analysis of Migration and Development Policies in Eleven European Countries and the European Commission
| Date | 01 April 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12191 |
| Published date | 01 April 2016 |
Theory and Practice? A Comparative Analysis
of Migration and Development Policies in
Eleven European Countries and the European
Commission
Niels Keijzer*, Julie H
eraud** and Malin Frankenhaeuser***
ABSTRACT
This article analyses international policy discussions on migration and development (M&D)
and contrasts these with the actual M&D policies and practices of 11 European countries who
were among the main proponents of this international discourse. Desk research of public docu-
ments and accompanying information sought from these 11 governments as well as in the
European Commission (EC) provide the basis for a comparative analysis of their overall M&D
policies and strategies, and institutional settings for formulating and implementing these. The
comparison shows that M&D policy and practice remains in a tentative and experimental
phase, and that countries experience difficulties reflecting their international positions in their
own policies, as well as in learning from their own efforts and those of others. While stressing
the developmental potential of migration in international discussions, most of the countries’
policies still reflect an understanding of migration as a problem and a preoccupation with
short-term domestic interests.
INTRODUCTION
Migration and its inter-linkages with sustainable development currently features prominently on the
international agenda, as evidenced most recently by the publication of the Outcome Document of
the Open Working Group (OWG) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes
migration-related targets under several development goals. Given the increasing attention to migra-
tion and development (M&D) at international level and the centrality of migration concerns in
domestic political discussions among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), the question arises to what extent these international discussions are
informed by –or themselves inform –concrete state action in terms of promoting effective M&D
policies. This question is particularly topical for European countries, given the important role they
have been playing in these international discussions and additional policy initiatives pursued at the
level of the European Union (EU).
This article presents a comparative analysis of the policies and practices in the field of M&D in
11 countries in Europe (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway,
*
German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Bonn.
**
Independent Consultant, Paris.
***
International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Vienna.
doi: 10.1111/imig.12191
©2015 The Authors
International Migration ©2015 IOM
International Migration Vol. 54 (2) 2016
ISSN 0020-7985Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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