ABSTRACT
De Haan (2000) argues that the implications of migration can be negative as well as positive, the outcome depending on the social relations between the migrants and others affected (see Box 4.2). It is important therefore that governments are sensitive to the informal institutions that structure and facilitate migration processes. It is these institutions, he argues, that are the key to how migrants’ decisions can support livelihoods. For example, it is possible to provide information about migration opportunities and consequences. This can, in turn, facilitate remittances and develop ways of enhancing the productive impact of migration decisions. De Haan (2000) argues therefore that consideration should be given to the geography that underlies many livelihood strategies such as migration. The way in which households and communities overcome the difficulty of distance implies that areas of origin and areas of destination should be considered as a single space for livelihood activities. Thus households that bridge the urban and rural divide are considered as one (see Box 4.3).
