Information and Communication Technologies and Migration

Jean-Yves Hamel

No HDRP-2009-39, Human Development Research Papers (2009 to present) from Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Abstract: Surveying existing literature, this paper starts by identifying links between attainments in human development and the presence of ICTs. The research then looks at instances where ICTs affect the opportunity for migration and how they affect its outcomes. We will see how migrants are making use of ICTs and the importance that these technologies have come to occupy in their life. Attempting to illustrate both positive and negative implications of the roles of ICTs in human mobility, this paper surveys research that demonstrates how ICTs are used in both regular and irregular migration, in maintaining family relations, in sustaining cultural identities, and in supporting a family from abroad. We will see that ICTs have not replaced older forms of communication but that they have greatly increased the range of available options for communications. Throughout the text, this paper also includes the roles of governments and civil society in working to increase access and use of ICTs while also making mention of instances where they actively pursue the opposite. As we will see, the skills necessary for use of ICTs and the infrastructure necessary for their access can be found in all countries of the world, albeit in unequal distribution.

Keywords: Information and communication technologies; diaspora; migration; ict; ict4d (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D8 F2 F22 J6 O1 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50 pages
Date: 2009-08, Revised 2009-08
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published as background research for the 2009 Human Development Report.

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http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2009/papers/HDRP_2009_39.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Information and Communication Technologies and Migration (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hdr:papers:hdrp-2009-39

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