How does integration in the country of settlement matter for diaspora members’ development engagements in the Global South?

The policy brief examines the intersection of migrant integration and development contributions, specifically focusing on the Norwegian experience. It argues that while diaspora members engage in development and remittance-sending largely independently of government policy, the quality of their integration—including their economic stability and legal security—significantly influences their capacity to contribute. The authors critique the current fragmentation of migration, integration, and development policies, noting that some security-focused narratives regarding remittances can stigmatize these contributions. The brief recommends recognizing diaspora initiatives as transnational civic engagement and reducing remittance costs to enhance development outcomes.

• There is a direct link between a diaspora member's level of integration in their country of settlement and their ability to contribute to development in their country of origin, as those with "stable and secure livelihoods and residency situations" are better positioned to provide support.
• Norwegian policy between 2008 and 2009 attempted to integrate diaspora groups into development cooperation and foreign policy, viewing their transnational ties as a resource rather than a social challenge. This included the "Pilot Project Pakistan" launched in June 2008 by Norad to build the competence of Norwegian-Pakistani organizations.
• Despite official policy ambitions, many diaspora-led development initiatives occur independently of government action and often remain "below the radar" of development bureaucrats. In Norway, political interest in these initiatives eventually dwindled, leaving NGOs to struggle with sustaining the work without official support.
• Remittances significantly exceed Official Development Assistance (ODA) in volume, being more than three times as much today. They provide critical benefits by funding human capital, such as education and health, and filling gaps in social protection.
• High transaction costs for remittances hinder their development potential. While the global average cost was 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 10c) aim to reduce costs to less than 3% by 2030. In Norway, the average cost of sending remittances remains higher than 5%.
• Public and political discourse in Norway has often linked remittances to negative activities such as terrorist financing, money laundering, and tax evasion, which taints the image of these contributions despite such crimes playing only a marginal role in global flows.

APA

Horst, C., Carling, J., Tjønn, M. H., & Erdal, M. B. (2020). How does integration in the country of settlement matter for diaspora members’ development engagements in the Global South? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c77fb92c-7197-4eac-af57-0a68829cfd11/Erdal et al - Diaspora Development and Integration PRIO Policy Brief 5-2020.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Horst, Cindy, Jørgen Carling, Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn, and Marta Bivand Erdal. How does integration in the country of settlement matter for diaspora members’ development engagements in the Global South? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2020. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c77fb92c-7197-4eac-af57-0a68829cfd11/Erdal et al - Diaspora Development and Integration PRIO Policy Brief 5-2020.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Horst |first1=Cindy |last2=Carling |first2=Jørgen |last3=Tjønn |first3=Mathias Hatleskog |last4=Erdal |first4=Marta Bivand |title=How does integration in the country of settlement matter for diaspora members’ development engagements in the Global South? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=May 2020 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c77fb92c-7197-4eac-af57-0a68829cfd11/Erdal et al - Diaspora Development and Integration PRIO Policy Brief 5-2020.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{horst2020how, author = {Horst, Cindy and Carling, Jørgen and Tjønn, Mathias Hatleskog and Erdal, Marta Bivand}, title = {{How does integration in the country of settlement matter for diaspora members’ development engagements in the Global South?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c77fb92c-7197-4eac-af57-0a68829cfd11/Erdal et al - Diaspora Development and Integration PRIO Policy Brief 5-2020.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }