The focus in this policy brief is on rural-urban migration in Ethiopia. Research shows that poverty and lack of opportunity are drivers of young people’s rural-urban migration. Migration to the cities nonetheless, has not led to a flow of remittances from urban to rural areas. Non-economic factors are central to many young people’s migration and to why they regarded migration as positive, despite the lack of short-term economic benefit. In this policy brief it is contended that the government of Ethiopia and development partners must recognize and support the development potential of migration and integrate it into development planning. There are ways in which migration can be made to work for the poor and support development.
