📰 What Was Tested
Many states pair immigration-control measures with development assistance intended to address the "root causes" of migration. A representative type of such "root causes" aid (RCA) project implemented by the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Africa was evaluated using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether development assistance can reduce the desire to migrate.
🧪 How the Project Was Evaluated
- A randomized controlled trial tested the effects of an IOM-implemented RCA project on migration-related attitudes and behaviors.
- Outcomes included self-reported aspirations to migrate and observable preparations for migration journeys.
- Multiple mediation analysis was used to identify the mechanisms linking the intervention to outcomes.
📈 Key Findings
- The RCA project reduced aspirations to migrate and slowed preparations for the journey.
- Multiple mediation analysis identifies "instrumental place attachment" as the main causal pathway: the extent to which individuals perceive they can pursue important goals in their place of residence relative to other destinations.
- The positive effects on aspirations and preparations diminished and largely disappeared six months after the project ended.
- Although the project was small and effects were short-lived, the increase in instrumental place attachment is noteworthy given global inequalities in opportunity.
🗣️ What Practitioners and Youth Reported
- Interviews with international organization (IO) and nongovernmental organization (NGO) practitioners explored how development actors design and deliver interventions that can bolster instrumental place attachment.
- Interviews with youth examined how projects do—or fail to—alter the calculus behind the decision to stay or migrate, illuminating the practical channels behind measured effects.
💡 Why It Matters
The trial shows that development aid targeted at migrants' "root causes" can temporarily reduce migration aspirations by improving people's ability to achieve goals at home. However, the fade-out after six months highlights the limits of small, time-limited projects and suggests that sustained or scaled efforts may be necessary for lasting effects on migration decisions.
