In partnership with the London School of Economics (LSE), we conducted a wide literature review looking for evidence of public- and private-sector interventions adopted by countries around the world to facilitate labour migration. We found 231 – either directly matching migrants with jobs (168) or by providing training (68).

These interventions show that, despite the current political debates which suggest otherwise, regular pathways for migration do exist and there is a potential for reform. However, there is little evidence as to the effectiveness or impact of these 231 interventions. Such evidence is crucial, to make policies and programmes more adaptable to the needs of destination markets and the capacities of migrants, and to make regular labour migration more predictable.

Report by the Overseas Development Institute