Abstract

This article analyses North–South relations through the lens of migrant remittances. Scrutinising remittances, this article argues that remittances need to be understood as a moral claim on the migrant’s propensity to remit. Migrants and their remittance-receiving families are bound together in translocal moral economies. These relations are described as a form of negotiated dependency. Due to the logic of remittances, net remittance-receiving economies within the Global South increasingly merge with the Global North. However, this process is conflict-ridden and (re)shapes and (re)produces global asymmetries, with remittances contributing to the individualisation of development. This emerging scenario is characterised by a fundamental micro–macro dilemma: On the micro level, migrants provide for the well-being of their relatives. On the macro level, migrant remittances increase in ‘value’ as currency hierarchies are deepened. In this scenario, protectionist labour market policies that are intended to reduce levels of migration within the Global North are likely to incentivise migration and thus reproduce the asymmetrical nature of North–South relations.

摘要

本文从移民汇款的角度分析南北关系。仔细审查汇款，本文认为汇款需要被理解为对移民汇款倾向的道德主张。移民和他们的汇款接收家庭在跨地域的道德经济中联系在一起。这些关系被描述为协商依赖的一种形式。由于汇款的逻辑，全球南方的净汇款接收经济体越来越多地与全球北方融合。然而，这个过程充满冲突，并（重新）塑造和（重新）产生全球不对称，汇款有助于发展的个性化。这种新出现的情景的特点是基本的微观-宏观困境：在微观层面上，移民为其亲属提供福祉。在宏观层面，随着货币等级制度的深化，移民汇款的“价值”增加。在这种情况下，旨在降低全球北方移民水平的保护主义劳动力市场政策可能会刺激移民，从而再现南北关系的不对称性质。