Most small fragile states have their own unique circumstances that predispose them to social
conflict or frequent economic disruptions. These disruptions end up imposing a large cost on
regional neighbours and on the international community more broadly. Therefore the
development community is in search of ways to reduce the risk of conflict but this search has
proved elusive thus far.
This paper explores the potential for migration to serve as a safety valve as well as a medium
term strategy for employment creation in conflict-prone states. It draws together the analytical
and empirical arguments needed to make the case for enhancing the labour mobility options for
these vulnerable populations