The power of the strong state: A comparative analysis of the diaspora engagement strategies of India and Ethiopia
Katherine Kuschminder & Metka Hercog
#2011-044
Migrant-sending countries are increasingly exploring schemes where human
capital of expatriates can be used for the benefit of the home country's
socioeconomic development. This paper focuses on the mechanisms of
emigration management and problematizes the government involvement in
diaspora engagement. By exploring the two cases of diaspora engagement
policies, namely, that of India and Ethiopia, the paper questions the
success of government mechanisms, establishing the conditions under
which these mechanisms lead to political and economic benefit from the
diaspora. Although countries differ immensely in various aspects,
Ethiopia modeled its diaspora policy after the case of India, which
provides us with a good case for establishing the necessary conditions.
Both countries see diaspora as a key resource in economic development of
respective countries and have therefore invested significant resources
into developing institutions and policies to engage diaspora.
Nevertheless, there are some major differences between the countries, in
terms of the countries' resources and capacities to design and implement
diaspora engagement policies and also in the composition of migrant
communities. While Indian migration has always had an economic
component, the Ethiopian Diaspora is primarily characterized by refugee
flows. Moreover, India has a long history of migration and one of the
largest migrant communities in the world. The paper argues that
government resources and capacities to design and implement policies and
the composition of migrant communities play a key role in determining
the approach governments adopt with their diasporas.
Keywords: diaspora, migration, diaspora engagement policy, diaspora
engagement institutions, India, Ethiopia