Migration, Displacement and Slavery

People leave their communities for diverse reasons including environmental changes, poverty and inequality, conflict and the search for better livelihoods. Regardless of the reason for migration or displacement, both the exodus and influx of people can have significant impacts on the communities that migrants leave and those in which they arrive.

Whilst the current political and public focus is on the many thousands migrating from East and West Africa and conflict zones within the Middle East, significant movements of people are also taking place within countries and across regions in Asia and the Americas.

Globally, the greatest number of migrants have been absorbed by already fragile states. Sudden and large-scale population increases put significant pressures on already weak institutions and fragile host communities.

For the vast majority, migration is an inherently risky and expensive process. Many migrants – and particularly women and girls – face violence, discrimination, exploitation and abuse. Instances of migrants being forced into slavery – through forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage and prostitution – during their journey or upon arrival at their destination, are high. Many examples of migration are desirable or necessary, particularly for those fleeing conflict. But large-scale economic migrations risk splitting families, limiting growth in countries of origin, and heightening social pressures in transit and destination states.

Integrity believes that the solutions to migration crises lie in promoting safe routes, building better linkages between migrant and host communities and creating alternative livelihood activities. An integrated response is needed, which has less to do with tightening border security and stigmatising migrants, and more to do with dealing with the root causes that force people to leave their homes or become incentivised to support smuggling or human trafficking.

Integrity provides vital research into the processes and reasoning behind migration and displacement, and the dynamics between displaced people and host communities. We provide capacity development to NGOs, local governments and donors, offering advice and training on how to build the capacity of host communities to receive migrants, understand the risks of destabilisation and harness the potential of migrants to contribute to their new environment.

Our team of researchers, anthropologists and urban and rural conflict specialists have worked extensively on varied aspects of migration and displacement with specific relevance to the Middle East, Asia and North East Africa. We have developed assistance projects for migrants and displaced people and conducted extensive research of urban migration and social rehabilitation between host and migrant communities, particularly to understand how migrant communities might be vulnerable to exploitation and violence.