Cities, international labor migration and development: Towards an alternative research agenda

In this paper we will argue that the theoretical literature on the relationship between international labor flows and development lacks a specific perspective on urban areas. On the one hand, the bulk of the development literature has tried to answer the question whether migration has had a net beneficial impact on the sending and receiving country, mainly focusing at the national level. On the other hand, the more recent surge of academic interest in the role of cities in the global economy has stressed aspects of capital mobility, and increased trans-border flows of information. Simultaneously, however, there is surprisingly little in-depth research that aims at linking cities with the issue of international labor migration. On the basis of a review of the existing literature, we will put forward several elements for an alternative research agenda that is able to link cities, development and international labor migration.