Migration and Poverty in Mexico’s Southern States

While Mexico's southern states differ substantially in terms of their migration profile, many of the issues confronted by the three states are the same. In this paper, we focus on five questions: (a) How large are migration flows, and what can be expected in the future?; (b) To what extent does migration increase per capita income and thereby reduce poverty?; (c) What are the determinants of migration?; (d) What is the impact of remittances on poverty, inequality, and development?; and (e) What programs are implemented by the government to increase the benefits from remittances, and what can be done to reduce the cost for migrants of remitting?