The reach and impact of migration information campaigns in 25 communities across Africa and Asia

Migration information campaigns seek to influence migration decision-making, averting the use of migrant smugglers and reducing irregular migration. Recent research has examined both the ethics and the efficacy of such campaigns, often with specific campaigns as the object study. In this article, the authors provide a complementary bird’s-eye perspective by placing migration information campaigns and their effects within broader dynamics of migration and development in diverse settings. The analyses are based on survey data covering almost 13,000 young adults in 25 local areas across 10 countries in Africa and Asia. The article examines how exposure to migration information varies, how messages are perceived, and how warnings against migrating affect migration aspirations. Between 4 per cent and 86 per cent of young adults in each area have seen or heard some form of migration information during the past year, most commonly in the form of warnings against migrating. It is found that such warnings rarely have an impact on migration aspirations, and that when they do, they are most often associated with a higher desire to leave.