• Disaster induced displacement

Disaster induced displacement

This paper examines the linkages between migration and development with a particular focus on the post-tsunami and civil conflict approach in Sri-Lanka. It also reviews migration policies and their integration in national and/or international development whilst also identifying migration strategies and good practices.

The author argues that the relationship and operational prospects of the linkage between migration and development in Sri Lanka must be placed in the recent historical developments. Although there are no clear-cut indications of a cause-effect relationship between the civil war and the tsunami on the one hand, and international migration on the other, vulnerability of Sri Lankan households increased dramatically during the last two years. Migration is increasingly used as a livelihood strategy to escape poverty, insecurity and instability, but it also represents a strategy to increase living standards by building a house and sending children to school.

Key conclusions include:

• operationalisation of migration & development in Sri Lanka is a challenging though promising area of work for public and private, national and international actors alike

• the ongoing civil conflict is a factor that is significantly influencing the government’s development policy

• it remains necessary to support the integration of the new interventions with the existing ones

• this integration should be done alongside the twofold aim of introducing and mainstreaming a migration dimension into the ongoing livelihood projects in parts of the country and of promoting viable alternatives to low-value labour exporting strategies.
  

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