South–South Migration and Inequality: An Introduction

Although scholarly work on international migration overwhelmingly focuses on movements to the Global North, at least a third of all international migration takes place between the countries of the Global South and this migration is increasing. Introducing the aims and contributions to the Palgrave Handbook of South–South Migration and Inequality, this chapter provides an overview of the history, scale and significance of South–South migration as well as existing research on the relationships between migration and inequality. Scholarly work on South–South migration, we argue, is dominated by theories and concepts derived from the Global North, from where most migration research funding originates and where most migration researchers are based. This work often fails to fully grasp the complex social, as well as economic and political factors, associated with migration in the Global South, and the intersectional inequalities with which migration is associated. Centring the knowledge and perspectives of those living and working in the Global South is critical if we want to understand the relationships between South–South migration and inequality. It is also vital in order to harness the potential benefits of migration for development, and for the well-being of migrants and their families.