An Interrelationship between International Migration and Human Development: A Case Study of The Gambia.

Abstract

Remittances – monitory income sent by migrants to families back home, provides a financial lifeline to millions of households in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular – the economics of smaller, poorer, and fragile countries are heavily depended on remittances – The Gambia is not an exception. As a result, at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, many fragile states in the developing countries that depended on remittances faced significant setbacks as the pandemic had significantly dampened economic and migratory flows – due to the travel restrictions, feared of the virus, and low prospects of jobs. However – In the Gambia, remittance inflows from the diaspora have demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the COVID-19 crisis. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, remittances were estimated to account for between 33% and 39% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the World Bank Group. Although – remittances do not directly contribute to GDP—since they represent income earned abroad—they have been instrumental in stimulating domestic demand. The remitted funds have supported household expenditures on essential goods such as food, clothing, and housing, thereby enhancing local production and service activities and contributing indirectly to economic stability and growth.  My goal in this article is to elucidate the interrelationship between international migration and human development in The Gambia – by making an analysis of The Gambia diaspora population through remittance and homeland politics.