Migration and forced displacement: the SDC’s unique role bridging local action and global policy through international cooperation
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is recognised as a credible global actor in migration and forced displacement, exerting influence far beyond its size. By bridging the gap between country-level innovation and global policy, the SDC is promoting systemic change. From institutionalising safe labour migration routes in Nepal to working towards durable solutions to displacement in the Horn of Africa, Switzerland’s long-term commitment and expertise make a difference for migrants in vulnerable situations.
Migration is a universal phenomenon, as people have always responded to economic, social, political, security and environmental challenges, in search of safety or better opportunities. Today, roughly 281 million people, representing about 3.6% of the world’s population, are international migrants. The search for jobs and demand for labour are central features of the migration journey: about 60% of international migrants are migrant workers, 42% of whom are women. While the proportion of people on the move to the world’s population has not changed much over the last six decades, the number of people forced to flee their homes due to armed conflicts, natural disasters or climate change is on the rise. More than 117 million men, women and children are displaced worldwide, including 71.2 million in their own countries. Migrants in vulnerable situations, irrespective of their status, face risks of human rights violations, exploitation, discrimination, lack of access to services, including social protection and justice, forced labour or human trafficking. However, human mobility may also offer immense development potential, for both countries of origin and destination, when conditions are safe, fair and dignified. In the destination countries, migrants contribute taxes, bring innovation and entrepreneurship, and strengthen the labour force. Meanwhile, remittances, when money is transferred back to one’s country of origin, make up a significant part of GDP in many countries of origin: in 2023 alone remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached USD 669 billion, nearly three times the volume of all official development aid.
In this context, Swiss international cooperation pursues a balanced approach, addressing both the challenges and opportunities of migration, in line with the 2030 Agenda. It focuses on protection and assistance for migrants in vulnerable situations and displaced populations, as well as on creating sustainable socio-economic prospects in its partner countries and regions, including through financial inclusion and safe, regular labour migration. It invests in migration governance systems that mitigate the risks of unsafe migration and displacement while maximising the benefits of regular migration. To assess the effectiveness of its work and measure its actual impact, the SDC commissioned an independent evaluation covering its global interventions over a seven-year period (2017–24) in the field of migration and forced displacement. The final report, which was published in January 2026, validates Switzerland’s current approach. The evaluators find a strong strategic alignment with Swiss foreign policy priorities as well as the needs of the partner countries. The report furthermore highlights what the independent evaluation team referred to as the Swiss model, a recognisable Swiss added value based on a combined approach of long-term engagement, operational innovation, multi-level partnerships, knowledge brokering, thematic expertise, and strategic focus.
Strategic patience in action: a decade of transforming labour migration in Nepal
One exemplary context, where concrete results of the Swiss model were found, is Nepal. For many Nepalis, working abroad is a necessity. Labour migration has been a common livelihood strategy for decades and this practice continues today, with 2.1 million Nepalis seeking work abroad in 2021. Main destination countries for Nepali migrant workers are the Gulf states, as well as Malaysia and India. As a consequence, in 2023, over a third of Nepali households received remittances from abroad, and in 2024 Nepali remittances reached a record USD 14.2 billion, making up 26% of GDP. However, while bringing economic benefits to both their country of origin and destination, migrant workers face significant systemic and personal risks: thousands of Nepali workers sustain serious injuries or sickness working abroad and in a single year 1,400 Nepali migrant workers were reported to have died abroad, often due to poor working conditions, heat exposure, and a lack of social protection. The risk of exploitation is high, as aspirant migrants are frequently exploited by private recruitment agencies through misinformation and high fees.
In this context, Switzerland’s decade-long involvement in Nepal has demonstrated that long-term commitments can be instrumental in transforming the landscape of labour migration. Recognising that labour migration should be a source of prosperity rather than precarity, together with the Nepali government the SDC has built a robust safety net through projects like Safer Migration (SaMi). Today, Nepali migrant workers have access to information, legal aid, and skills training, a direct result of efforts to reinforce safe, regular labour migration channels. In addition, returnees benefit from social and economic reintegration measures. Rather than temporary aid, these initiatives focus on institutionalising services within Nepal’s federal structures, ensuring that support for migrants is woven into the national governance system. With the SDC’s support, Migrant Resource Centres have been established all over Nepal, providing legal aid, psychosocial support and financial literacy training to thousands of migrant workers and their families annually. Trained migrant workers have reported to have secured higher wages and achieved better financial stability, contributing to more effective reinvestment of remittances. From a current 156 Migrant Resource Centres, a scaling up to a total of 400 is expected, eventually aiming to reach an estimated three million direct and indirect beneficiaries covering all 753 government entities of Nepal.
The independent evaluation demonstrates that the SDC has been instrumental in supporting Nepal’s national policy and facilitating the transition of service delivery to local governments, thereby contributing to the implementation of Nepal’s federal constitution.
Durable solutions in the Horn of Africa: bridging the gap between humanitarian aid and development
The Swiss model has also been particularly successful in the Horn of Africa, where Switzerland is a recognised champion of Durable solutions to protracted displacement. Durable solutions are achieved when displaced people no longer have specific assistance and protection needs resulting from their displacement and can exercise their rights without discrimination. Moving beyond short-term assistance, the SDC combines humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding – known as the ‘triple nexus’ – to help displaced women and men rebuild their lives. This is particularly relevant in conflict-prone and climate risk-affected regions such as the Horn of Africa. By the end of 2024, it was estimated that more than 10 million women, men and children were forcibly displaced in the region, primarily driven by protracted armed conflicts and violence, human rights violations, food insecurity, and the increasing impact of climate change. Due to the protracted character of the crises, people remain displaced for long periods without a clear path to self-reliance. The SDC’s strategy therefore focuses on shifting from short-term emergency assistance to advance durable solutions and socio-economic inclusion in the region.
Engaging the private sector: the Saameynta project in Somalia
Private sector engagement is a key part of the SDC’s strategy, acting as a leader in unlocking capital for displacement-affected communities through micro-financing and market-driven approaches. In Somalia, the Saameynta project represents a flagship initiative which illustrates private sector innovation through a funding facility that provides loans to internally displaced persons, facilitating their economic inclusion in urban settings. The project has directly promoted the integration of 60,000 people locally. Moreover, the total catalytic effect of the Saameynta project is estimated to have reached 140,000 individuals, as many interventions were designed to benefit the entire urban population, for instance through strengthening urban governance and inclusive urban planning, improving land governance, enhancing livelihoods and economic opportunities, and community-based planning and participation. The vast majority of the beneficiaries are women, as the project specifically targets land tenure security for women and households headed by women. The Saameynta project is further recognised for effectively bridging the gap between humanitarian assistance and long-term development, moving towards systemic urban integration and permanent housing solutions instead of temporary camp management.
A commitment to sustainable change and innovation
The work in Nepal and the Horn of Africa is exemplary of a broader Swiss approach that views migration not just as a challenge, but as a transformative force for sustainable development. These successes are not isolated, but rather are the result of thematic expertise and setting priorities that balance economic opportunities with the protection of human rights, ensuring that migrants enjoy economic benefits while contributing to peaceful inclusive societies. The evaluation found the SDC’s work on migration and forced displacement to be highly relevant and effective. The SDC’s unique approach successfully combines operational innovation, multilevel partnerships, long-term engagement and thematic expertise to achieve systemic change. This approach is evident for instance in the fostering of economic inclusion in the Horn of Africa or the successful integration of the Migrant Resource Centres into local Nepali government structures, ensuring that migration services are sustainable, locally managed, and geared towards long-term solutions, instead of maintaining a parallel system of aid. Overall, this unique model allows Switzerland to have a significant impact and be recognised globally as a leader in the sector, despite being a comparatively small actor. Switzerland is found to be valued as a trusted, non-imposing partner that respects local agency and builds the long-term institutional capacity of partner governments, proving that linking in-field realities to global policy can create lasting impact.
Looking forward, the SDC will continue to address the protection needs of migrants in vulnerable situations and support their socio-economic integration, while unlocking the economic potential of safe, regular migration.
Links
- Independent Evaluation of SDC’s Engagement in Migration and Forced Displacement 2017-2024
- Annexes Volume II - Independent Evaluation of SDC’s Engagement in Migration and Forced Displacement 2017-2024
- Factsheet to the Independent Evaluation of SDC’s Engagement in Migration and Forced Displacement 2017-2024
- SDC Migration and Forced Displacement
- SDC Network on Migration and Forced Displacement
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