The other side of migration: those who never leave

There are journeys that are not chosen. Suitcases filled not with desire, but with need and urgency. People who migrate without knowing if they will be able to return, or where they will end up . Others stay, not because they want to, but because they have no other choice, and they remain in territories that offer them no future, often marked by poverty, violence, or exclusion.

Around the world, the debate on migration often begins when the migrant is already on the move . Rarely do we look back, to the place from which we depart. And that's where it all truly begins. Every migration process is born from a context that conditions it, such as forced decisions, poverty, the absence of the State, or structural violence. It is in this context that the decision to migrate is determined by choice or urgency, because, behind this, there is also a context that doesn't guarantee the most basic: staying or moving in dignified conditions.

Migration shouldn't be an act of survival , but a free choice. But when people leave their homes due to violence, the climate crisis, lack of opportunities, or the absence of the State, they aren't making a choice: they're resisting. At the same time, migration has always been—and will continue to be— a powerful tool for development , not only for those who migrate, but also for the communities they reach. While some insist on seeing it as a problem, migration also builds the future. Therefore, speaking of dignified migration also means speaking of the possibility of living a full life wherever one is born, chooses to live, or chooses to stay.

Staying shouldn't be an act of resistance either. It should be a dignified possibility. The right to choose between leaving or staying should be part of the same right: the right to build a meaningful life, in peace, with justice. Although the debate on mobility focuses on migration, 96.2% of the world's population actually does not cross their national borders, according to IOM data . This partial view of mobility limits the design of comprehensive responses and programs that address both the need and the desire to move or stay.

“Staying shouldn't be an act of resistance either. It should be a dignified possibility. The choice between leaving or staying should be part of the same right: the right to build a meaningful life, in peace, with justice.”

Jorge Cattaneo, general director of Ayuda en Acción

At Ayuda en Acción, we work in fragile contexts where mobility is high. In collaboration with academic institutions such as the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada and the Universidad del Pacífico (Lima, Peru), we have studied why people stay in these contexts . This work, carried out in Colombia , Ecuador , Mexico , Ethiopia , and Mali, has identified that creating real opportunities for development, well-being, and inclusion is essential to fostering people's permanence in their place of origin. Creating these opportunities does not mean preventing migration; it means expanding the freedom to choose.

The research also highlights that those who stay are, for the most part, the most vulnerable people in contexts already marked by exclusion: women, elderly or dependent people, and households without economic resources or support networks. Caregiving responsibilities, historically assumed by women, play a central role in this forced permanence. They don't migrate because someone must stay to support daily life: raising, accompanying, caring, and resisting. Thus, settling down is often deeply marked by gender inequalities.

From this perspective, we propose four key areas for rethinking public policies on migration. First, we must strengthen the conditions for rootedness in our territories of origin: the decision to migrate is not always a matter of free will , but rather the impossibility of building a dignified life there. Therefore, strengthening rootedness implies addressing the structural causes that drive millions of people to migrate, such as inequality, violence, and the climate crisis.

Furthermore, it is necessary to protect the rights of people in transit, especially in migration corridors where risk and vulnerability increase. Migration must be safe, and rights must accompany people throughout their journey.

Third, we must ensure real inclusion in destinations, beyond legal recognition: access to services, decent work, social protection, and the fight against discrimination.

In addition, it is vital Support dignified and voluntary returns, where people who decide to return find support, reintegration, and opportunities to rebuild their lives.

Finally, it is necessary to support those who care. Caregiving responsibilities are one of the main factors explaining why people don't migrate, but caregiving remains invisible in policymaking. Including caregiving in social policies is key to ensuring true freedom of choice.

As long as we continue to view migration as a phenomenon of borders, we will continue to ignore its deepest root: the lack of justice in the places where it all begins.

Jorge Cattaneo, general director of Ayuda en Acción

Migrating or staying should not be heroic or desperate acts. They should be free, informed decisions, protected by rights, and supported by coherent public policies. As long as we continue to view migration as a phenomenon of borders, we will continue to ignore its deepest root: the lack of justice in the places where it all begins.

Recognizing the value of roots doesn't mean denying migration; it means giving it meaning. Because all migration begins before the journey, and because there is no destination without origin. Where the journey begins, there must also be the possibility of staying.