Essays on Conflict-related Migration and Development in the case of Afghanistan


Craig Loschmann, UNU-MERIT / School of Governance

Popular interest in the relationship between migration and development has grown considerably over the last two decades. As a consequence, there has been increasingly more academic research on the subject which has explored the way in which these two fundamental processes interrelate in a diverse set of environments. A notable limitation, however, has been the focus on those dynamics associated with economic migration from low- to high-income countries. This has led to a gap in the empirical literature when it comes to migration between developing countries, otherwise considered South-South migration, and other less voluntary forms of migration like refugee movements from countries afflicted by conflict.

This dissertation is a collection of empirical essays which attempts to fill this gap by exploring the link between conflict-related migration and development in the (post-) conflict environment of Afghanistan. The analyses are quantitative in nature, focusing on one of three main sub-themes: 1) the causes of conflict-related migration; 2) its consequences for human development; and 3) policy response. As such, the dissertation as a whole contributes to the general discussion on migration and development by providing evidence in a conflict-affected context rarely covered in the literature, and if so from a purely qualitative perspective. In addition, the varied types of migration flows prevalent in the context of Afghanistan are also considered in different chapters – namely, international migration, return migration and internal displacement – providing a uniquely wide-ranging account of the Afghan case as it relates to conflict-related migration and development.

Venue: Minderbroedersberg 4-6, Maastricht

Date: 14 October 2016

Time: 10:00 - 11:30  CET


UNU-MERIT