ABSTRACT
Internal and international migration have traditionally been studied separately. It is indeed the case that there are key differences between these two migration types, especially in crossing an international border and in migrant selectivity. However, this chapter argues that the overlaps and similarities, and above all the use of both migration types as part of livelihood strategies by thousands of households in the poorer Global South, require a more sophisticated approach. Drawing on the author’s empirical work in Albania and other examples from across the developing world, the chapter illustrates the common features that both migration types share, such as drivers and networks, and unpacks the complex and dynamic linkages and interactions that occur. Internal migration will often intertwine with international migration in complex ways: they may act as alternatives to each other, but often co-exist, contemporaneously or sequentially, within the same family, neighbourhood, local community, and country. Zooming in on the micro-scale the analysis reveals that men and women of different ages and educational backgrounds migrate differently, whilst a meso- and macro-level view highlights regional disparities and inequalities that may result from the combination of the two. An integrated approach is thus key to gaining deeper insights into migrants’ experiences and indeed an interconnected world.
