Driven to leave: aid and migration

Drawing from two countries of origin of many migrants to Europe – Afghanistan and Somalia – this paper tests assumptions about ‘root causes’ of and ‘solutions’ to migration.

Our research reveals that economic factors, such as employment, have a complicated relationship with migration intentions. As a result, programs that focus singularly on economic development initiatives are likely to be ineffective at addressing the root causes of migration. Evidence from this study suggests that underlying many young people’s decisions to migrate are concerns about security and exposure to violence, signaling the need for more efforts focused on creating stable, peaceful, and safe conditions for youth in their home countries.