Migration und wirtschaftliche Entwicklung: Die Investitionen der MigrantInnen aus Zacatecas, Mexiko

Abstract

The question remains, whether migration and remittances may – through migrant investment – induce a sustainable economic development in the sending regions, or cause even higher degrees of dependence on the transfer payments. This problem is analyzed by the example of Zacatecas, Mexico, the state that shows the highest emigration ratio and the highest amount of remittances per capita. Remittances can be either used for consumption or for investment; the latter may be divided into microeconomic and social investment. Consumption benefits the region by multiplier effects, microeconomic investment creates local income and social investment may be used to improve the infrastructure. Political programs to channel more resources into investment have not given the expected results. As labor migration is the result of a lack of economic opportunities it cannot be the migrants task to make up for structural deficits. Political programs are needed to overcome the reasons for underdevelopment and to support the emergence of production chains.