The enduring migration-development dilemma: skills mobility partnerships and the challenge of conflicting capabilities

Abstract At the heart of the ‘migration-development nexus’ lies a persistent ethical conflict: the tension between individual capability enhancement through migration and the strengthening of collective capabilities in origin communities. Skills Mobility Partnerships (SMPs) have recently emerged as a progressive alternative to ethically contested Temporary Labour Migration Programmes (TLMPs), aiming to overcome the latter’s instrumental limitations by integrating skills development. This paper argues, however, that the conflict constitutes an enduring ‘migration-development dilemma’ that persists even within these optimised frameworks. By centring capability and agency, the study positions SMPs as a critical test case, demonstrating that the dilemma is irreducible. To establish this argument, the paper first unpacks the dilemma using a capability lens and critiques existing normative frameworks for obscuring it. It then applies a novel two-dimensional taxonomy to analyse SMPs, revealing inherent trade-offs: the ideal of an ‘Integrated SMP’ remains unattainable; Mobility-oriented SMPs advance migrant agency but render community development contingent; and Community-oriented SMPs prioritise collective gains at the cost of restricting freedom. The paper concludes that SMPs ultimately navigate, rather than resolve, the dilemma, underscoring the need for pluralistic governance that explicitly engages with these enduring ethical tensions.