Few African governments have managed to engage expatriates successfully in poverty reduction efforts and development. A recent policy brief from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a US-based think-tank studying the movement of people globally, says governments need to be much more proactive if they are to reap concrete benefits from their diaspora.
A few countries are making progress, notably Ethiopia and Rwanda, which are reaching out to their expatriates through targeted campaigns seeking investment in development projects in the home country, formal diaspora policies, dual citizenship for diaspora members, and supporting global diaspora networks to forge strong connections with their foreign-born populations.
