Migrant associations as actors in development? A national event-history analysis in Burkina Faso

Cris Beauchemin, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Bruno D. Schoumaker, Université Catholique de Louvain

Social and environmental consequences of migration are often studied through the lens of destination areas both because this is the place (1) where population pressure constraints local resources and (2) where social and economical integration problems arise. However, migration also affects sending areas. Depopulation is often cited as a major issue especially since emigrants are usually young working people. And there is still a debate on the impact of remittances. Migration can also have an impact through collective organizations. But the role of migrant associations has received very little interest in the literature on the consequences of migration on sending areas. In this context, our paper aims at assessing if migrant associations can be actors in the social and economic development and the environmental change of origin communities. We will provide both qualitative analyses and quantitative results using a national community survey carried out in Burkina Faso in 2002.