CIMRAD

Centre on International Migration, Remittances and Diaspora (CIMRAD)

The Centre on International Migration, Remittances and Diaspora (CIMRAD) was established in 2014 by the Lahore School of Economics and is the first institute of its kind in Pakistan. The Centre specializes in the study and analysis of international migration and its social and economic consequences – with a focus on the diaspora and the flow of remittances.

Global international migration has increased during the last two decades according to the United Nations estimates. The number of persons living outside their country of origin reached 281 million in 2020. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of international migrants increased by 48 million globally, with another 60 million added between 2010 and 2020. Pakistan is a net emigration country, ranking as the seventh largest sending country in the world. Labor migrants, primarily low-skilled male workers, are a vital component of the overall migration from Pakistan and numbered about 12.8 million during the period 1971 to June 2023. Pakistan has taken several steps to regulate and improve the governance of migration in response to specific migration-related goals highlighted in the UN’s Sustainable Development goals, and the Global Compact on Migration.

The World Bank estimated remittances to low- and middle-income countries at $656 billion in 2023. The growth rate of 1.4% is much lower than the 8% increase recorded in 2022 despite global economic uncertainty. The lower increase was mainly associated with lower economic activity in migrant receiving countries. Pakistan is amongst the top ten remittance receiving countries. In 2022-2023 it received USD 27 billion, lower by 13.6% during 2021-2022. Economic and political uncertainty in the country, depreciation of the rupee against dollar and resulting rise in the kerb premium shifted remittance inflows to alternative informal channels offering better rates. In view of their significance as a major source of foreign exchange for the country, macroeconomic stability is key to attract remittances and better exchange rate management to reduce the spread between the interbank and open market rate, maintain the attractiveness of formal channels.

Remittances can be beneficial to economic development but at the same international migration can create a loss of skilled labour for the home country. Migrants can create cultural tension in host countries, but also face labour exploitation themselves. These complex social, economic and cultural issues will be explored through the lens of CIMRAD’s research.

Team: Dr. Rashid Amjad, Dr. Nasra M. Shah, Dr. Fareeha Zafar, Ms. Almazia Shahzad, Ms. Samar Quddus, Ms. Memoona Qazi.

CIMRAD Advisory Board 

Prof. Dr. Andrew Geddes: Director, Migration Policy Centre, European University Institute. Florence, Italy.

Dr. G. M. Arif: Ex-Joint Director, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). Islamabad, Pakistan.

Mr. Manolo Abella: former Director, International Migration Program, International Labor Organization (ILO).

Dr. Ibrahim Awad: Director, Centre for Migration and Refugee Studies, American University in Cairo.

Prof. Philippe Fargues: Co-Scientific Director, Gulf Labour Markets and Migration Programme.

Piyasiri Wickramasekara: Vice-President, Global Migration Policy Associates.

Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou: Chair, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration.

Dr. Marta Erdal: Co-Director, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Migration Centre