Sending remittances home

A point that is often overlooked in discussions of migrant remittances is the process of transferring money across continents. The little available research on this issue notes that migrants often lack information on the most efficient, cost-effective ways to make these transfers and are usually reliant on word-of-mouth.

Therefore there is a crucial need for comparative, independent information about the remittance services that are available, in order for consumers to be able to come to a rational, factually informed and independent decision on which service to use. Well-known financial service providers such as Western Union have dominated the market so far, but smaller pro-poor services are beginning to challenge them, with the aim of meeting both financial goals and social objectives.