SDG Indicators and Migration: A Paradox of Global Aspiration and National Insecurity

Unlike millennium development goals, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) explicitly recognise the importance of migration in the process of development that is not only economic but social and environmental as well. It is realised that the pillars of SDGs namely planet, people, prosperity, peace and partnership can not be strong enough if migration both internal and international are left out. Migration is about people, their history, culture and wellbeing. The World Bank Report 2023 mentions, ‘migration has been part of the human experience since the earliest days of civilization. Homo sapiens left Africa’s Omo Valley some 200 thousand years ago, and since then humans have
never ceased to move, producing distinct cultures, languages, and ethnicities'. It proved to be a powerful force for development and improving societies but also raises serious challenges.

Several indicators have been incorporated related to migration in SDGs. The Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 10: Reducing Inequalities, and Goal 17: Global Partnership are important for the inclusion of migration in SDGs. The emphasis has been on safe, orderly and regular migration, protection of human and labour rights, reducing the cost of migration as well as reducing the cost of sending remittances. Bilateral and multi-lateral agreements are important along with availability of data on migration disaggregated by age, sex, region, ethnicity, class and citizenship. The progress has been very limited due to a long history of negative perception associated with migration in both origin and destination countries. The paper argues that while SDG indicators related to migration show the global aspiration, the national insecurity fanned out xenophobia, jingoism and identity politics as global narratives posing strong barriers in the integration of SDG goals and indicators with migration.