SECO – Migration, Remittances and development Financing

Project Duration: December 2005 - July 2006

Donors: Government of Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

IOM together with the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) carried out a 9 month (December 2005 to July 2006) remittances-for-development applied-research initiative funded by the Government of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) with a total budget of USD 100,000.

The aim of this initiative was to collect, analyse and present information about remittance transfers by the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland, their impacts and use in migrant-sending households, as well as documenting other kinds of policies and practices affecting remittance flows between Switzerland and Serbia-Montenegro. The results of this research initiative is  used to develop concrete, feasible investment strategies to enhance the development impact of remittances in Serbia-Montenegro, including new forms of collaborative investment involving SECO, the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland and other strategic partners.  The ultimate aim of this project was to enhance economic growth and reduce poverty in Serbia-Montenegro.

Project Status: Completed