The Developmental Implications of Migration From and Between Small Island Nations

Smallness is no insurance against the problems of overpopulation. Small island nations may face a dichotomy based upon size. They are too small for modernization to generate the domestic markets which would provide the work opportunities which are needed to support economic development. Yet increases in their populations may not alleviate that problem; rather the rising populations may tax food and other resources thus making the nations even more dependent upon external linkages and less able to chart their own expansion paths. Some small island nations may employ external linkages as a means of development. Movements in this direction involving international service activities are becoming increasingly evident. Island mini-states have become prominent in the field of international finance. Tourism is another service industry which seems to feature in development plans. These activities all have job creation potential. Some may also contribute needed foreign exchange. Many such activities may have a darker side as well. The focus of this paper is upon population pressures and more specificially upon the role of migration in the alleviation of those pressures and hence in making continuing development possible. The discussions draw upon the experience of small nations in the Caribbean basin and the South Pacific