WHEN THE number of irregular mi-grants crossing into Europe spiked in 2015, policymakers scrambled to stem the flow. One of the more humane ideas they latched onto was an old one: to slow migration by targeting its "root causes". Growth and opportunity at home, the thinking went, would dull people's enthusiasm to up sticks. So the European Union set up a multi-billion-euro trust fund for Africa. And indeed, irregular migration to Europe, while still a big issue, has fallen considerably from its peak five years ago.However, the extra aid probably had little to do with that drop. A handful of new studies suggest that neither aid nor economic development in poor countries reduces migration.
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