Preface

In today’s globalized world, migration shapes the social, economic and cultural realities of millions of people around the world.
Migration is one of the oldest and most effective strategies for escaping poverty. It is also a key ingredient in stimulating economic growth and increasing the wealth of nations.

Migrants Рby bringing with them new ideas, unique know-how and specific skills, as well as a sense of entrepreneurship Рoften make a substantial socio-economic and cultural contribution to their places of destination. Not surprisingly, some of the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs come from an immigrant background. The most famous Swiss examples are Henri Nestl̩, Julius Maggi or Carl Heinrich Knorr. In fact, around a fifth of the 50 largest Swiss companies were created by entrepreneurs of foreign origin. Many Swiss women of immigrant background are active on the startup scene and others such as Martina Hingis, Sibel Arslan and Melinda Nadj Abonji are key figures in the cultural, social and political life of Switzerland. Migrants can also have a significant positive impact on their communities and countries of origin, including sending remittances to their families back home. Official remittances to low- and middle-income countries are three and a half times the amount of all official development assistance provided by the Global North to the Global South. Channeling remittances to investments in education, nutrition, health or the local private sector is essential to mobilize additional financial resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Migration also carries risks and challenges that can undermine the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Irregular and dangerous migration and forced displacement entail considerable human costs. People on the move are often vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and discrimination. In recent years, persecution, conflict, violence and natural disasters have led to a sharp increase in forced displacement and placed considerable pressure on governments and host communities. This is especially true for low- and middle-income countries, where the overwhelming majority of forcibly displaced people have found refuge. Switzerland strives to address the root causes as well as the consequences of forced displacement and irregular migration through the strategic link between international cooperation and migration policy.

Switzerland was one of the first countries to tackle the issue of migration and development. For example, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation created the Global Migration and Development Program in 2011. The program piloted several innovative projects aimed at harnessing migration for sustainable development, and spearheaded several global initiatives on migration and development. The program initially focused on labor migration, but in order to respond to changing trends and needs, over time its areas of action have been extended to other types of migration, such as long-term displacement and the creation of durable solutions for forcibly displaced people. . As part of the SDC’s reorganization efforts in 2021, the program has therefore been renamed the Global Migration and Forced Displacement Program (GPMFD).

Based on a global approach that encompasses all forms of human mobility, the GPMFD ensures a coherent commitment to migration within the SDC and with its partners in the federal administration. It allows for a coherent implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace link in accordance with Switzerland’s foreign migration policy. This GPMFD 2022–25 program framework represents the strategic direction of the SDC’s commitment to migration. It focuses on the following three components: (i) safe labor migration, (ii) inclusion and social cohesion of migrants and their host communities, and (iii) the contribution of migrants to the sustainable development of their country of origin.

I am convinced that the reconfigured GPMFD makes a significant and lasting contribution to unlocking the development potential of human mobility, while minimizing global challenges related to migration.

Patricia danzi
Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Berne, November 2021