Migration policies for development

There is substantial interest in development policies related to international migration from developing countries. In the last decade, there has been a wave of rigorous empirical studies (many of which are randomized controlled trials) quantifying the impacts of such policies. This article examines evidence on the impacts of policies in five areas: 1) migration facilitation, 2) migrant education, 3) reducing remittance transaction fees, 4) enhancing migrant control over remittance uses, and 5) improving working conditions of migrants. In each of these areas, there is evidence that at least some interventions have positive impacts, but a number of open questions remain. Future research in these and other areas has high promise to provide important and policy-relevant findings.