Sustainable cities: internal migration, jobs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Paula Lucci, Dina Mansour-Ille, Evan Easton-Calabria and Clare Cummings
Rapid urbanisation in developing countries is a defining feature of the 21st century, driven by internal migration and population growth. How urbanisation processes are managed and the types of jobs that internal migrants can access will have a great bearing on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This policy briefing focuses on the economic integration of internal migrants arriving to cities in rapidly urbanising countries. It highlights two important SDGs, from migrants’ perspectives: the promotion of full, productive employment and decent work for all (Goal 8), and making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (Goal 11). This briefing synthesises the evidence on the impact of internal migration on migrants’ livelihoods, host cities’ development and overall poverty reduction. We assess how both migrants and ‘host’ cities can benefit from migration. We then put forward the policy instruments at city and national level that could help in achieving the SDGs.