Recent years have seen mobility and migration and their links to development high on
the global policy agenda and discourse. Yet, the missing dimension is the linkage
of these with the rights of migrant workers. Development now focuses on freedom,
choices and capabilities of people. It is crucially dependent on realization of human
rights of all persons including migrants. Human rights cover both universal human
rights, core labour rights and other workplace rights of migrants. Mobility rights
are part of overall human rights which apply to all human beings irrespective of their
migratory status. Denial of rights means that the individual migrant has lack of
access to realization of capabilities and entitlements. Recent State approaches do not
promote the developmentmobilityrights nexus with their preoccupation with sovereignty,
State security, and irregular migration, and reliance on control-oriented
migration policies. This article analyses the various interactions of migration and
development, and the impact on rights. It reviews some recent approaches to international
mobility regimes and their role in strengthening the developmentmobility
rights nexus. The article highlights the gap between policy and practice and the role of
a rights-based policy in promoting the developmentmobilityrights nexus.