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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Fernández-Huertas Moraga, Jesús (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) |
| Abstract: | International migrants choose their country of residence to maximize their utility. As a result, their choices are informative about the relative attractiveness of countries. This paper explains why Spain became the fourth most attractive country in the world for international migrants in the period 2015-2024, what I define as the Second Spanish Immigration Boom of the century. First, an accounting decomposition shows how, contrary to other destinations, Spanish-specific factors, correlated with economic conditions and general migration policies, have a larger weight in explaining immigration to Spain than origin-specific factors. Second, the causal relevance of bilateral visa policies is also shown, particularly in the context of Latin American immigrants, by using origins that are required a visa to enter Spain as a control for visa-free access countries in a generalized differences-in-differences setting. Finally, the effects of the Boom on immigrant selection are also analyzed, finding that the Second Boom was different from the first because educational selection improved. |
| Keywords: | gravity model, international migration, selection |
| JEL: | F22 J11 J61 O15 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18185 |
| By: | Lacher, Wolfram |
| Abstract: | The European Commission, Italy, and Greece are seeking to curb irregular migration through Libya. These efforts come at a time when several aspects of European Union (EU) migration policy in Libya must be acknowledged as having failed. This is particularly true of attempts to improve conditions in detention centres, and the situation of migrant workers and refugees more broadly. Most recently, a campaign by Libyan authorities against what they portrayed as EU plans to permanently settle migrants in the country showed that European policy is provoking considerable backlash. As the softer components of this policy have reached an impasse, it has been stripped to its hard core, namely arrangements with Libyan security actors to prevent departures, as well as support for interceptions at sea and returns to countries of origin. These measures are inextricably tied to Libya's system of arbitrary detention, which serves criminal interests. European attempts to disavow this system have been unconvincing and are preventing a serious reckoning with the political costs involved. |
| Keywords: | Libya, irregular migration, International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations (UN), arms embargo, Khalifa Haftar, European Union, European Commission, Italy, Greece, migrant workers, refugees, interceptions at sea, returns to countries of origin, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:swpcom:329916 |
| By: | Mauro Lanati; Rainer Thiele |
| Abstract: | Research on the nexus between development and migration has mainly focused on cross-border flows. How income changes affect migration within developing countries is much less well researched even though addressing this topic might provide essential information about the process of structural transformation needed for economic development. In this paper, we provide new evidence on the link between income growth and internal migration for Malawi, one of the poorest countries worldwide where migration is predominantly internal. Employing a gravity approach and performing an instrumental variable regression based on a shift-share instrument, we robustly find that, on average, rising incomes – proxied by changes in nightlight intensity – are associated with higher emigration rates. This effect is mainly driven by people emigrating from comparably richer urban areas. In the poorer rural districts, by contrast, migration tends to fall with increasing economic activity, which is in accordance with the notion that poverty may force people to leave their home in response to negative shocks. Our results also suggest a specific sorting pattern by education levels: While in urban areas rising incomes mainly facilitate the emigration of lower-skilled people to non-urban destinations, in rural areas it is higher-skilled people who most likely leave their home in response to falling incomes. |
| Keywords: | Economic development; Internal Migration; Malawi; Sub-Saharan Africa |
| JEL: | O55 R23 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2025_15.rdf |
| By: | Gabriel Chaves Bosch (Queen Mary University of London); Cem Özgüzel (Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne, Paris School of Economics et IZA) |
| Abstract: | Does the presence of migrants influence innovation at the local level? This paper answers this question using novel data containing fine-grained information on the migrant population and geo-coded data on patent locations for a large set of 19 OECD countries over the 1990-2014 period. We find that a one percentage point increase in the local migrant share increases patent applications by 2.5%. This effect is driven by more urbanised and economically developed localities, where innovation levels are already higher to begin with. However, this impact becomes insignificant when aggregating observations at larger geographical levels, suggesting that the effect of migration on innovation is concentrated in space and features high rates of spatial decay |
| Keywords: | Migration; Innovation; Patents; OECD countries; local |
| JEL: | O31 J61 R11 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mse:cesdoc:25021 |
| By: | Feng Hou; Max Stick |
| Abstract: | Canada has long been a destination for American expatriates because of its geographic proximity, familiar culture and similar socioeconomic environment. However, migration flows have historically fluctuated in response to economic, political and social factors (Boyd, 1981; Kobayashi & Ray, 2005). Notably, shifts in U.S. administration policies—particularly those affecting immigration, labour markets and social stability—have influenced U.S. residents’ intentions to move north (Croucher, 2011). |
| Keywords: | migration, Canada, United States, immigration, temporary residents |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2025–03–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202500300004e |
| By: | Altireeki, Waed Fathi (Norwegian Refugee Council) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how INGO-led NFE programmes for children and youth on the move seek to empower learners amid the complexities of mixed migration. It takes Libya as a case study, given its position as a central route to the Mediterranean and its high influx of refugees and migrants. The study proposes an integrated conceptual lens—combining the 4As rights-based framework, the capability approach, and critical pedagogy—to examine the empowering dimensions within INGO practices. Based on qualitative interviews with 12 staff from five INGOs, findings reaffirm critiques of Education in Emergencies’ short-term approach, highlighting its emphasis on provision over impact. Education’s empowering potential is found to be constrained by the absence of progressive learning pathways and the limited efforts to enhance learners’ agency. |
| Date: | 2025–10–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:c8bzp_v1 |
| By: | Garnett Picot; Tahsin Mehdi |
| Abstract: | This study assesses the skill level and occupations of recent immigrants in Canada by examining immigrants who landed in 2018 or 2019 and their occupational outcomes in May 2021. More recent results from the March 2024 Labour Force Survey are provided in some cases. The share of recent immigrants in lower-skilled or labourer jobs (35%) was almost as high as the share working in higher-skilled occupations (40%) in May 2021. However, recent immigrants and immigrants overall were much less likely than Canadian-born individuals to be in middle-skilled technical or trades jobs such as construction. Recent immigrants were more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to be employed in higher-skilled occupations such as engineering and computer and information systems professions but less likely than Canadian-born individuals to be in nursing professions, partly because of the time it may take to become professional nurses. |
| Keywords: | immigrant labour, canadian economy, occupational outcomes, lower-skilled jobs, labourer jobs, higher-skilled jobs |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2024–09–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202400900005e |
| By: | Lemos, Sara (University of Leicester); Portes, Jonathan (King's College London) |
| Abstract: | We study the labour market impact of immigration to the United Kingdom, focusing on the large inflows following the 2004 EU enlargement. Using the Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB)—a longitudinal 1% sample of National Insurance records—we provide the first analysis of immigration’s effects on employment and wages based on high-quality administrative microdata. Exploiting individual, area and time fixed effects, as well as area-time, individual-time and individual-area fixed effects, we reduce endogeneity concerns that have limited previous work. We find limited aggregate impacts, but distributional consequences: existing immigrants—particularly those who were young or low paid—experienced modest negative employment effects, while natives faced little evidence of displacement. For wages, impacts were mixed: existing immigrants overall gained, but low-paid immigrants lost. The results suggest labour market adjustment operated through both substitution and complementarities across groups. More broadly, we provide a methodological framework for analysing the much larger and more diverse post-2021 immigration flows. |
| Keywords: | wages, employment, immigration, Central and Eastern Europe, UK |
| JEL: | J22 C23 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18199 |
| By: | Capretti, Lisa (University of Rome Tor Vergata); Kopinska, Joanna (Sapienza University of Rome); Mariani, Rama Dasi (Roma Tre University); Rosati, Furio C. (University of Rome Tor Vergata) |
| Abstract: | We examine the impact of migrant-provided home-based care on elderly health in Italy, focusing on hospitalisation frequency, length of stay, and mortality. To address potential endogeneity between local health conditions and immigrant settlement , we use an instrumental variable approach. Our results show that an higer supply of migrant caregivers reduces both the frequency (extensive margin) and duration (intensive margin) of hospital admissions. One percentage point increase in the immigrant-to-elderly population ratio leads to a 4% decline in long-term and rehabilitation inpatient admissions, with no effect on acute inpatient. We also find a 1.5% reduction in average admission duration, rising to 3.3% for LRI cases. These effects are primarily driven by diagnoses related to traumatic injuries, musculoskeletal and genitourinary conditions—areas closely linked to home-based mobility and care management. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the observed 1.3 percentage point average annual increase in the migrant-to-elderly ratio during our study period corresponds to an estimated 9% reduction in elderly LRI hospitalisation costs, yielding annual public savings of approximately 0.66% of total hospitalisation expenditures. |
| Keywords: | long-term care, immigration, home-based care, ederly |
| JEL: | F22 H51 I11 I18 J14 J61 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18188 |
| By: | Shweta Bahl; Ajay Sharma |
| Abstract: | Using nationally representative data for India, this paper examines the incidence of education occupation mismatch and returns to education and EOM for internal migrants while considering the heterogeneity among them. In particular, this study considers heterogeneity arising because of the reason to migrate, demographic characteristics, spatial factors, migration experience, and type of migration. The analysis reveals that there exists variation in the incidence and returns to EOM depending on the reason to migrate, demographic characteristics, and spatial factors. The study highlights the need of focusing on EOM to increase the productivity benefits of migration. It also provides the framework for minimizing migrants' likelihood of being mismatched while maximizing their returns to education. |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2510.15420 |
| By: | Takuya Hasebe (Sophia Institute for Human Security and Faculty of Liberal Arts, Sophia University, JAPAN); Yuma Noritomo (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, U.S.A. and Junior Research Fellow, Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration, Kobe University, JAPAN); Bilesha Weeraratne (Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, SRI LANKA) |
| Abstract: | International migration offers significant economic opportunities for developing countries, but it can also separate parents from their children, potentially harming child development. This paper examines the effects of restricting mothers' international migration on left-behind children, leveraging a Sri Lankan unique policy that restricted mothers with children under age five from migrating abroad for employment. Using a difference-in-differences approach, the results reveal the following: First, the policy reduces international migration, increasing mothers' presence at home. Second, policy exposure leads to better healthcare outcomes, including a significant reduction in inpatient stays, particularly treatment for illnesses. This improvement appears to result from increased childcare and monitoring by mothers. Although the policy decreases remittances from abroad, this reduction is offset by an increase in domestic remittances. Furthermore, we find evidence of positive spillovers on non-targeted children with younger, policy-targeted siblings, as indicated by reduced grade retention. These findings highlight the trade-offs between a mother's presence and the economic opportunities associated with international migration in shaping human capital development. |
| Keywords: | Human capital; Health; Education; Remittance; Sri Lanka |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kob:dpaper:dp2025-25 |
| By: | Clifton-Sprigg, Joanna (University of Bath); Homburg, Ines (University of Antwerp); Huyghe, Anneleen (University of Antwerp); Vujic, Suncica (University of Antwerp) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the effect of the Brexit process on international student migration from the European Union (EU) to the United Kingdom (UK). Using administrative data on higher education students in the UK, we employ a dynamic and a synthetic difference-in-differences estimator to compare EU to non-EU students. We show that the Brexit referendum itself and the introduction of visa requirements did not affect EU student migration. However, the introduction of higher tuition fees led to a large reduction in EU student applications to UK universities and colleges, and, subsequently, a decline in place offers, student acceptances, and enrolments. The effect ranges from 48% to 64%. Our findings suggest that increased tuition fees acted as a deterrent for EU students wanting to study in the UK. |
| Keywords: | United Kingdom, synthetic difference-in-differences, international student mobility, European Union, Brexit, higher education |
| JEL: | J61 C21 O15 I28 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18178 |
| By: | Pooja Batra; Ajay Sharma |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we analyse the impact of international migration on the food consumption and dietary diversity of left-behind households. Using the Kerala migration survey 2011, we study whether households with emigrants (on account of international migration) have higher consumption expenditure and improved dietary diversity than their non-migrating counterparts. We use ordinary least square and instrumental variable approach to answer this question. The key findings are that: a) emigrant households have higher overall consumption expenditure as well as higher expenditure on food; b) we find that international migration leads to increase in the dietary diversity of left behind households. Further, we explore the effect on food sub-group expenditure for both rural and urban households. We find that emigrant households spend more on protein (milk, pulses and egg, fish and meat), at the same time there is higher spending on non-healthy food habits (processed and ready to eat food items) among them. |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2510.15399 |
| By: | Laura Panza; Yanos Zylberberg |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the grassroots of nation-building in times of mass migration. We study the emergence of cohesive communities and societal leadership within the scattered, diverse Jewish settlements of Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and 1947. Our empirical strategy relies on a new “frontier expansion†algorithm to predict the dynamics of Jewish settlement creation, which we combine with migrant characteristics in a shift-share design to isolate exogenous variation in the local composition of settlers across locations. We find that: (i) leaders who played a crucial role in shaping the early state of Israel emerged from diverse communities; (ii) these communities were more cohesive and maintained better relationships with Arab neighbors; and (iii) these effects are predominantly observed in kibbutzim, i.e., integrated settlements with communal lifestyle. Further evidence suggests that these diverse, tight-knit communities were facing and addressing nation-building challenges at a local level, e.g., setting up institutions to foster a shared identity. |
| Date: | 2025–04–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bri:uobdis:25/796 |
| By: | Yuqian Lu; Feng Hou |
| Abstract: | As the number of temporary foreign workers increases and more of these workers transition to permanent residency in Canada, provinces and territories—especially those with smaller populations—have been actively targeting foreign workers through immigration programs such as the Provincial Nominee Program as a strategy to attract and retain new immigrants (Picot, Hou & Crossman, 2024). However, there is limited knowledge regarding the retention rate of former temporary foreign workers in the province or territory where they were employed before immigrating, and how this retention rate varies among different types of temporary foreign workers and by province or territory. Such information is directly relevant to policy considerations related to the regionalization of immigration and the role of the transition from temporary to permanent residency. |
| Keywords: | temporary foreign worker, employement, immigration, work permit holders, permanent residency |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2024–10–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202401000002e |
| By: | Maciej Karpinski; Amélie Arsenault; Christoph Schimmele; Max Stick |
| Abstract: | This study used the 2020 General Social Survey to examine the association between immigrants’ age at arrival in Canada and their social connectedness to their communities of settlement. Immigrants who arrived during adolescence had fewer close friends than Canadians in the third generation or more, but this disparity was not observed for immigrants who arrived during childhood and there was no significant difference for those who arrived during adulthood, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The number of acquaintances immigrants had decreased with older age at arrival, and those who arrived during adulthood had significantly fewer acquaintances than Canadians in the third generation or more. The proportion of interethnic friendships in immigrants’ social networks was consistently higher compared with Canadians in the third generation or more. Immigrants who arrived during adolescence or adulthood had less in-person contact with their friends than people from the third generation or more but were not less satisfied with their level of contact. |
| Keywords: | age at arrival; immigrants; social integration; social networks |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2024–12–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202401200002e |
| By: | Wendy Kei; Feng Hou; Haozhen Zhang |
| Abstract: | Amid growing concerns in Canada over housing affordability, questions have arisen about non-permanent residents’ experience in the Canadian rental market. Some media sources have indicated that non-permanent residents are disproportionately affected by the ongoing housing crisis. This study uses data from the 2021 Census of Population to examine whether international students and temporary foreign workers face higher rental costs than the Canadian-born population (non-immigrants) and longer-term immigrants (those who were admitted more than five years preceding the census year). It also explores the factors contributing to disparities in rental expenses among these groups. The study shows that, on average, international students paid 10% more in monthly rental costs per rental unit, while temporary foreign workers paid 21% more, compared with Canadian-born individuals living in the same urban area before adjusting for neighbourhood, dwelling and household characteristics. The differences in rental costs observed for temporary foreign workers relative to Canadian-born individuals dropped to 5% when comparing renters with similar household characteristics living in the same neighbourhood and in similar dwellings. The higher rental costs paid by international students within a given urban area (or neighbourhood) can be entirely accounted for by differences in dwelling characteristics, as international students were less likely than Canadian-born individuals to reside in subsidized housing and more likely to live in condominiums and newer buildings. |
| Keywords: | international students, temporary foreign workers, rental cost, neighbourhood |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2024–10–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202401000004e |
| By: | Huju Liu; Chaohui Lu; Haozhen Zhang; Jianwei Zhong |
| Abstract: | Canada has one of the highest shares of immigrants among developed countries. According to the 2021 Census, immigrants made up nearly one-quarter (23.0%) of the population—the largest proportion among G7 nations—and this figure is expected to rise to almost 32% by 2041 (Statistics Canada, 2022). Immigrants also tend to have higher business ownership rates compared with those born in Canada (Green et al., 2016). Therefore, understanding the impact of immigrant-owned businesses on the Canadian economy is essential. |
| Keywords: | Immigrant-owned firms, Canada, immigrant ownership, firm characteristics |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2025–02–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202500200002e |
| By: | Max Stick; Feng Hou; Allison Leanage |
| Abstract: | Advances in technology have led to the development of innovative methods for generating, collecting and storing data across various industries, including health care, media, retail and sciences. Businesses increasingly rely on data from product searches, purchasing behaviours and other preferences to make product and marketing decisions (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Raw data alone have minimal value; transforming them into usable and interpretable information requires workers with certain skills (Pereira et al., 2020). These tasks are often carried out by professionals known as data scientists. |
| Keywords: | Immigration, Canada, sociodemographic, data scientists |
| JEL: | J23 M21 |
| Date: | 2025–02–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stc:stcp8e:202500200003e |