Labour Migration, Remittances, and Food (In)Security in a South-South Context: The Case of Kenya and Qatar Corridor

This project aims to investigate the reciprocal relationship between labour migration and food security in the Kenya – Qatar migration corridor, with a strong emphasis on the gendered dynamics shaping experiences and outcomes in both origin and destination contexts. In alignment with the broader goals of the MiFOOD partnership, the research seeks to interrogate whether the “triple win” of South-South migration, benefiting migrants, sending households, and receiving countries, extends to the domain of food security. The study is particularly concerned with how food insecurity both drives migration and emerges as a persistent challenge for migrant populations abroad and the families they support at home. The primary objective is to generate new empirical evidence on the complex, gendered interactions between migration and food insecurity, and to assess how migration shapes food access, dietary practices, and well-being for both migrants abroad and their families left behind in Kenya. The research will be conducted in two sequential phases. The first phase will be carried out in Kenya, focusing on migrant-sending households.  A structured survey, indepth interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews will be conducted. The second phase will take place in Qatar and will engage directly with Kenyan migrants currently living and working there through in-depth interviews. Key informant interviews will also be conducted in Qatar with officials from the Qatari Ministry of Labour, labour attachés, NGO staff, consular officers, and other relevant stakeholders involved in migrant welfare.