Written evidence submitted by the International Organization for Migration, Country Office for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (IOM UK)

International Development Committee Inquiry on the Future UK Aid and Development Assistance 

The following submission from IOM is being provided on a voluntary basis and should not be interpreted or construed as a waiver, express or implied, of the privileges and immunities of IOM and its officials.

Introduction

1. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is pleased to submit a response to the call for evidence on the Future of UK Aid and Development Assistance.

2. Founded in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration. With 175 member states and presence in over 500 field locations, IOM, as the   UN Migration Agency, is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.

3. This response focuses on three questions with relevance to IOM’s mandate and expertise.

4. IOM evidence highlights that safe, orderly, and regular migration is both a humanitarian and a strategic investment—supporting stability, prosperity, and security globally. By reinforcing national systems, promoting inclusive coordination, and advancing multilateral partnerships, the UK can ensure its aid fosters equitable, sustainable outcomes.

2(b): Where can complementarity be found between the UK’s aid philosophy and obligations, and its wider foreign policy objectives of economic growth and national security?

5. UK overseas assistance is grounded in the principle that aid should reduce poverty while advancing mutual interests. This complements broader objectives of promoting global stability, economic growth, and national security. A key area of alignment is migration management and governance. The 2025 Immigration White Paper outlines a comprehensive agenda to reduce net migration, strengthen border controls, and align immigration with domestic labour market needs.

6. Safe, orderly, and regular migration is not only a humanitarian and development obligation but also a strategic investment that supports UK economic and security priorities. Increasingly, this includes addressing mobility dynamics driven by climate change and environmental degradation—factors that exacerbate fragility and shape migration decisions.[1] Development financing that supports mobility of workers with skills in demand, strengthens rights-based return and sustainable reintegration systems, integrates anticipatory and climate-resilient approaches and tackles trafficking and smuggling of migrants, generates economic and social benefits for both the UK and partner countries.

7. Capacity development for partner governments in border governance, anti-trafficking, migration health systems, migration management and governance has shown that strengthening national systems helps reduce drivers of irregular migration, including onward movements towards Europe. It helps tackle organised crime and fosters stability in fragile and strategically important transit regions. Improved data collection, analysis, and sharing are essential to counter transnational smuggling of migrants. National, regional, and global trend analyses allow for timely identification of emerging smuggling routes, tactics, and facilitators, and support intelligence-led decision making.[2]

8. Investments in labour mobility, diaspora engagement and optimised remittance flows also link development with foreign policy outcomes, enhancing transnational economic ties and fostering social cohesion within the UK. In 2024, a minimum of £9.08 billion[3] was remitted from the UK to other countries – compared to a total UK ODA of £14.08bn. For many states, remittances represent a critical income source, often exceeding development assistance. The UK has a strategic opportunity to leverage remittance flows and diaspora partnerships to promote stability, resilience, and sustainable growth in partner countries.

9. A report by the World Bank projects that high- and upper-middle-income countries will face massive shortages in their labor markets by 2050.[4] At the same time, in the coming ten years, 1.2 billion young people from the Global South are projected to join the workforce, but only around 420 million jobs are anticipated to be available.[5] Well-designed skills mobility partnerships and circular migration schemes can address[6] market needs in destination countries while strengthening workforce capacity in countries of origin.[7] The UK can operationalise mutually beneficial migration partnerships, while also leveraging UK strengths (like world class universities, health and tech sectors).

10. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, 216 million people across six world regions may face climate-related internal displacement, especially in fragile and resource-scarce regions.[8] ODA can be transformative in supporting climate-resilient communities and adaptive migration strategies. Investment in anticipatory action, disaster risk reduction, and climate-informed planning helps governments and communities manage mobility proactively, reducing forced displacement and strengthening crisis recovery capacity. Integrating mobility dimensions into the UK’s climate and development portfolio also advances national interests by reducing instability, mitigating humanitarian crises, and promoting economic opportunities in vulnerable regions.

3(c): How can the UK contribute to the coordinating of relief and development efforts?

11. Coordination must be further strengthened alongside efforts to foster national ownership and shared accountability.[9] Evidence from OECD-DAC and the UN Joint Steering Committee on Humanitarian and Development Collaboration shows coordinated planning and predictable funding are key determinants of sustainable development.[10] The UK can incentivise joined-up planning and implementation that bridges humanitarian response and long-term recovery, including climate risk financing, by providing flexible and predictable long-term funding and investing in systems that allow governments and communities to lead their own relief-to-development transitions, with multilateral partners providing technical and operational support.

12. The UK can use its leadership within the UN, G7 and OECD-DAC to promote nationally-led coordination frameworks that integrate humanitarian, development, environmental and peace efforts. IOM’s experience supporting UN Country Teams and inter-agency coordination demonstrates that joint planning tools – like government-chaired taskforces and pooled-funding structures – enhance coherence while reinforcing local leadership. Aligning ODA with nationally owned plans, rather than through parallel donor mechanisms, ensures that aid investments strengthen rather than bypass national systems.[11][12]

13. The UK can incentivise joint planning and data sharing among multilateral, national and local partners. The IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), used in over 90 countries, has strengthened coordination and targeting by providing population and needs data to humanitarian and development actors. DTM data is made systematically available across responses and fed into inter-agency mechanisms, improving recovery planning and prioritisation of durable solutions.

14. The UK can continue its support to coordination arrangements, such as the new system-wide coordination arrangements to drive more effective solutions to internal displacement. IOM is leading the Solutions Champions Group to promote stronger government ownership in affected states and enhance development system support and financing for solutions priorities. IOM, UNDP and UNHCR are bringing together respective mandates at global and country level to ensure a collaborative approach under new global solutions structures, which are aimed at reducing protracted displacement and humanitarian aid dependency.

4: How should the Government be communicating the results of UK aid, and its importance, to the public?

15. To strengthen public understanding of international aid, contextual storytelling can explain the roots of crises and the importance of strategic investments abroad. Providing factual data alongside human-centered storytelling creates connection and builds public trust in aid as a tool that benefits everyone. In its UK-funded North Africa Migration and Development project, IOM created compelling narratives, sharing personal stories of migrants demonstrating impact. Similarly, more balanced narratives about the economic and societal benefits of regular migration are needed.

Conclusion

16. UK aid and foreign policy goals are inherently complementary when channeled through partnerships that promote stability, prosperity, and shared responsibility. By using its diplomatic influence, funding and convening power to champion nationally led, inclusive coordination, the UK can help transform the global aid system from one of dependency into one of mutual accountability and shared progress. It can ensure its aid portfolio delivers more sustained results for communities at home and worldwide.