Crisis, Reform, and Remittances: A Corridor Level Mixed Methods Examination of GCC–Nepal–Sri Lanka (2019–2024)

This study examines how institutions in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Nepal, and Sri Lanka affect migrant earnings, remittance stability, the choice of transfer channels, and the use of remittances for development. This study uses a mixed‑methods approach that integrates institutional mapping, policy tracing, comparative case studies, and quantitative analysis of remittance flows (2019–2024). Migration corridors with stronger institutions are associated with fewer wage disruptions, more stable remittances, and greater use of formal transfer channels, conditional on the observed macroeconomic factors. This study introduces a corridor-level three-pillar institutional framework linking destination wage protection systems (WPS), origin recruitment/welfare, and financial infrastructure to measurable remittance outcomes. It also combines institutional mapping with remittance data (2019-2024) and uses COVID-19 as a natural stress test to produce policy-relevant quantitative effect sizes. Policymakers should prioritise coordinated reforms across these three institutional pillars. The three-pillar institutional capacity index was validated through inter-rater reliability (Cohen's k = 0.81; ICC = 0.86), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83), and convergent validity against the Worldwide Governance Indicators (r = 0.78, p < 0.01).