Sending Money Home in Conflict Settings: Revisiting Migrant Remittances

What is it about?

The article examines the centrality of migrant remittances in conflict-affected settings, and argues that as much of such remitting occurs through informal channels, conflict-related remittances have been under-researched and underestimated. It argues for a more holistic view of these money flows and their social embededdness, and discusses the growing role of financial technology and social media in mediating remittance transfers.

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Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Why is it important?

There is a need to re-imagine conflict-related remittances with a new recognition that transnational remittance flows are based on diverse collectivities, institutions, and obligations. That entails learning from the vernacular institutions that people use for money pooling and transferring, and studying local practices of mutual support. A broader conceptualization of the human dimension in post-conflict development would entail the challenge of reconciling the technological, cultural, and power differences embedded in formal and informal remittance transfer pathways.

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