During a conference on “Social remittances and social change”, former State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Dr Ishrat Husain emphasized that relocating to other countries offers Pakistani migrants an opportunity to acquire new skills that can be used to serve their future and the country. He stated that research in any field in Pakistan should focus on poverty alleviation and human development.
Husain also pointed out that Pakistani migrants can acquire technical skills as well as efficiency-enhancing practices, principles, and values from host countries. These social remittances can contribute to increasing productivity in the local market and even be exported to other migration destinations.
Various scholars from around the world spoke at the conference, highlighting the role of Pakistani migrants in the country’s economy. Dr Peggy Levitt from Wellesley College discussed cultural globalization and the role of technological advancement. She reflected that for migrants over time, there was a growing disjuncture between how they perceived their home country and how it may have actually evolved.
Dr Philippe Fargues, Founding Director of the Migration Policy Centre, argued that international migration and reduction in fertility were inseparable parts of social change and human development. He suggested exploring the implications of social remittances for bringing down Pakistan’s fertility rate, which is currently 3.6.
Dr Anne White from University College London School highlighted the potential for migrants’ exchange of ideas to transform the ways migration takes place. Dr Bilesha Weeraratne from the Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, and Froilan Malit Jr from the University of Glasgow underlined the role of social media and technology in the transfer of social remittances to home countries. Malit discussed the case of the Filipino diaspora in Gulf countries, which used digital technology to impact the domestic electoral outcome and political preferences in their home country.
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