Coherence and Contradictions in Danish Migration-Development Policy and Practice

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, increasing attention has been given to the migration–development nexus. Numerous studies, policy analyses and recommendations on how to make migration work for development in practical ways have been produced, resulting in (among other initiatives) attempts to include migration concerns in the post-2015 development agenda and efforts to promote policy coherence for development. After an initial ‘euphoria’, most involved parties today agree that there is no simple one-way relationship between migration and development. Development is unlikely to decrease migration in the short run, and migration in itself cannot be the main recipe for development. Critical voices, moreover, argue that much migration-development policy in reality has served migration management functions rather than development goals. This article reflects on these contradictions in the light of Danish policy debate and practice. It brings considerations on the migration–development nexus in dialogue with reflections on policy coherence and forwards the following two arguments: First, that although policy coherence in the migration-development field perhaps always was unrealistic, a certain degree of policy incoherence might – at least for a while – have safeguarded development budgets from being used for migration-management purposes. Second, that reluctance to incorporate migration concerns in ‘classic’ development activities represents a missed opportunity. This calls for a critical analysis of Danish and European pledges to adopt a comprehensive and coherent approach to the field of development and migration policies.