Numbers of international migrants are at a historic high. While people have always been on the move and the benefits of migration are internationally acknowledged, reaping these benefits through “safe, orderly and regular migration” (SDG 10.7) continues to be a challenge at international, national and local levels. Moreover, the numbers of forcibly displaced people have continued to climb since reporting started. Neighbouring countries, themselves oftentimes economically and socially unstable, have been hosting the largest bulk of the displaced populations – with local communities under particular stress.

This conference was devoted to understanding why people decide to move from their homes (with a particular focus on South-South migration), what effects migration has on the socio-economic development of low- and middle-income countries and how migration is governed in a multi-level policy environment.

Policy makers and academic researchers met at the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) in Bonn to discuss cutting-edge research and its implications for the policy making. The event was an opportunity for participants to exchange on which policy issues require new research and how current research can support future policy making.