Who is Sending Remittances? Understanding Global Networks of Support

Abstract

Remittances are sent by migrants to their families and friends back home. That definition, over the past few decades, has been the accepted understanding of the concept in discussions related to personal international money transfers (PIMTs), and in-kind and person-to-person cash transfers. However, no mechanism exists at present that can pinpoint the identity of the sender beyond an acknowledgment of the location from where remittances are sent. This study shows that a significant percentage of PIMTs are sent by non-migrant actors. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data gathered in coastal Kenya, the discussion shows that transnational social networks that lead to the receiving of PIMTs include senders whose citizenship is different from that of the recipient. The data point to growing interconnectedness among social actors of the global community through tourism, business, missionary activity, and humanitarianism, and is relevant to understanding the function of remittances in the global economy.