Research Conducted in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda Outlines Ways to Strengthen Responses in Small and Mid-Size Cities to Forced Displacement & Migration
WASHINGTON — Migrants and displaced persons increasingly are making the move from rural areas and settling in small and mid-sized urban cities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which is one of the world’s most rapidly urbanizing regions. Drawn by the promise of greater job opportunities and more direct access to health, education and social services, these newcomers are part of a growing population boom in cities of 150,000 to 5 million people. As a result, many secondary cities are facing increased pressure to accommodate native and foreign-born populations, placing further strain on their infrastructure and economies.
A new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) report explores ways to build effective programming and improve socio-economic inclusion for migrants and refugees, drawing in part on research conducted in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda. It examines the socio-economic challenges raised by the presence of mobile populations in these urban contexts, and the gender dynamics at play. It also delves into how cities, states and civil society have sought to respond to challenges, and outlines how local, national and international partners can help address these difficulties and advance social inclusion.
Having come to secondary cities in search of opportunity, newcomers can face a variety of challenges. In some contexts, municipalities actually have fewer resources than rural areas—including proportionally fewer public services and fewer services targeted to the specific needs of displaced populations compared to camps or settlements for refugees and internally displaced persons. And education and health care systems may not be equipped to handle migration- and displacement-related challenges, nor to deliver services in a culturally sensitive way. Women and girls usually face additional obstacles in accessing support in response to sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking, female genital mutilation and other vulnerabilities. Finally, economic opportunities for migrant and displaced populations, in particular women, remain largely outside the formal sector in many low- and middle-income countries, leaving them more vulnerable to sudden economic shocks and exploitation.
Even as municipal authorities are mobilizing to respond to these growing socio-economic issues, they face a range of overlapping challenges that constrain their ability to effectively respond to migration and displacement. “Many have an incomplete picture of who is moving to and staying in their cities, they generally have limited legal authority and capacity to act on migration issues, mechanisms for effectively engaging migrants and displaced persons in policymaking are often lacking and many local entities have few opportunities to connect and coordinate with international humanitarian and development actors active on migration and refugee issues,” write MPI analysts Samuel Davidoff-Gore and Camille Le Coz.
They suggest prioritizing better data gathering, sharing and analysis; capacity building for municipalities to strengthen their knowledge of migration and associated gender dynamics; improved consultation between municipal actors and migrants and displaced persons; and more opportunities for city-level actors to coordinate with international humanitarian and development actors.
Adoption of these strategies “can help ensure that migrants, displaced persons and host communities in secondary cities alike are socio-economically better off, and that these cities can grow sustainably,” the authors conclude.
The report, Migration and Displacement in Secondary Cities: Insights from Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, is the second publication resulting from a multi-year research partnership between MPI and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s Thematic Section Migration and Forced Displacement to support the development of global solutions for migration-related challenges. The first explored how the COVID-19 pandemic affected recruitment and other costs for migrant workers at every stage of their journey. Upcoming publications will review recent policy interventions and future priorities to promote fair and ethical recruitment, as well as the role of the fintech sector in advancing access to remittances and broader development.
Read today’s report on secondary cities here: www.migrationpolicy.org/research/migration-secondary-cities.