SOAS Research Online

Abstract

In this chapter, we critically engage with the existing literature to explore how the condition of countries of origin, the situation in countries of destination and the role of remittances relate to the key analytical instruments of poverty and income inequalities. We analyse the ways in which income inequalities contribute to patterns of migration; the mechanisms by which resources are transferred back to places of origin and their impacts on poverty and income inequalities; and the impact of migration on patterns of inequalities in places where people move. We discuss whether migration can play a role in reducing income inequality, by helping increase incomes and contribute to poverty alleviation, or whether it is a very selective phenomenon that tends to exacerbate inequalities. Global South and South–South migration are included in the analysis, albeit through a critical approach, that highlights the need to consider the historical dimensions involved in their creation, the political construction of these categories and the limitations embedded in their theoretical application.