In the analysis of migration a basic distinction is often made between those who chose to move and
those who are forced to – that is, between ‘voluntary’ and ‘forced’ migrants. This distinction is
maintained in the policy world, where the governance of international migration is shaped by the
conceptual distinction between ‘voluntary’ and ‘forced’ migration as mutually exclusive
categories. In reality of course the distinction is far from clear-cut. Migration can be ‘mixed’ in
several senses: motivations may be mixed at the point of making the decision to move, when
there are often combinations of choice and compulsion in play; people may travel with others in
mixed migratory flows; motivations may change en route; and people may find themselves in
mixed communities during their journeys or at their destination. This paper explores the
connections between mixed migration and human development, understood as the expansion of
capabilities and choice (Sen 1999). It first clarifies some of the key concepts in the migration
discourse, particularly the role of choice and compulsion in migration, before exploring the
emergence of the notions of ‘mixed migration’ and the ‘migration-asylum nexus’ in the policy
arena. The paper then turns to some of the manifestations of ‘mixed migration’ and the
conditions migrants encounter in such migration streams. It next considers how mixed migration
and migration policies – or ‘migration governance’ -- encounter one another. Finally, some
policy conclusions are drawn from the evidence presented, pointing to the idea that the
transnational practices that arise from mixed migration may constitute a ‘durable solution’ in
settings of conflict and displacement