nep-mig New Economics Papers
on Economics of Human Migration
Issue of 2025–12–15
five papers chosen by
Yuji Tamura,  La Trobe University


  1. Sectoral Linkages and the Impact of Immigration on Export Performance By Amandine Aubry; Anthony Edo
  2. Endogenous Migration and the Macroeconomic Impact of Foreign Workers in Japan By Sagiri KITAO; Nozomi TAKEDA
  3. Leaving Home for University or Commuting? The Impact of Relocation Scholarships on Academic Progression By Giorgia Casalone; Alessandra Michelangeli; Jurgena Myftiu
  4. Asylum Assignment and Burden-Sharing By Gian Caspari; Manshu Khanna
  5. A More Conservative Country? Asylum Seekers and Voting in the UK By Fasani, Francesco; Ferro, Simone; Romarri, Alessio; Pasini, Elisabetta

  1. By: Amandine Aubry; Anthony Edo
    Abstract: This paper studies how immigrants in intermediate sectors affect downstream export performance. We develop a theoretical model in which a sector’s exports depend not only on its own immigrant workforce, but also on immigrant labor in input-supplying sectors. Using a new dataset on U.S. input–output from 2003-2017, we show that increases in immigrant employment in these sectors raise exports in connected downstream industries. This effect operates partly through improved production efficiency that lowers upstream input costs. By linking labor migration to production networks, we identify a new channel through which immigration shapes comparative advantage in international trade.
    Keywords: Immigration;Trade;Sectoral Linkages;Intermediate Sectors
    JEL: F22 F16 J61 O31
    Date: 2025–11
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cii:cepidt:2025-17
  2. By: Sagiri KITAO; Nozomi TAKEDA
    Abstract: This paper develops a multi-region overlapping generations model with endogenous migration to quantify the macroeconomic and fiscal effects of foreign workers in aging Japan. Migration decisions are modeled explicitly, driven by cross-country differences in wages, demographics, and fiscal systems across Japan and the countries from which the migrants originate. The calibrated model replicates the sharp rise in Japan’s foreign workforce over the past decade and projects that their share will peak in the 2040s before declining as demographic and wage trends in source countries evolve. Foreign workers modestly mitigate the decline in labor supply and output and ease fiscal pressures, though their contribution remains partial. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating endogenous migration in assessments of long-run fiscal sustainability in aging economies.
    Date: 2025–11
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:25110
  3. By: Giorgia Casalone; Alessandra Michelangeli; Jurgena Myftiu
    Abstract: This study examines the causal impact of additional financial aid granted to students living far from university on their academic performance. It exploits an Italian policy that supports the relocation of scholarship recipients to the university city. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design based on a travel-time eligibility threshold, we compare the academic outcomes of scholarship holders enrolled at a medium-sized public university. Results indicate that relocated students accumulate credits more slowly and achieve lower average grades than comparable commuters, with no evidence that relocated students trade exam quality for quantity. A mediation analysis suggests that these effects may be driven by time-management difficulties and the limited adequacy of the financial support to cover living expenses. By focusing on an overlooked dimension of student aid, the paper contributes to the understanding of how financial support mechanisms interact with students’ living arrangements and provides novel causal evidence on the interplay between financial aid and students’ living arrangements in higher education.
    Keywords: Scholarships, Higher education, Academic performance, Living arrangements, Regression Discontinuity.
    JEL: H2 H4 I2 C3
    Date: 2025–11
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mib:wpaper:563
  4. By: Gian Caspari; Manshu Khanna
    Abstract: We analyze the problem of matching asylum seekers to member states, incorporating wait times, preferences of asylum seekers, and the priorities, capacities, and burden-sharing commitments of member states. We identify a unique choice rule that addresses feasibility while balancing priorities and capacities. We examine the effects of both homogeneous and heterogeneous burden-sizes among asylum seekers on the matching process. Our main result shows that when all asylum seekers are treated as having identical burden-sizes, the asylum-seeker-proposing cumulative offer mechanism guarantees both stability and strategy-proofness. In contrast, when burden-sizes vary, there are scenarios where achieving stability or strategy-proofness is no longer possible.
    Date: 2025–11
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2511.21147
  5. By: Fasani, Francesco (University of Milan); Ferro, Simone (University of Milan); Romarri, Alessio (University of Milan); Pasini, Elisabetta (Alma Economics)
    Abstract: This paper provides the first causal evaluation of the political impact of asylum seekers in the UK. Although dispersed across areas on a no-choice basis, political bargaining between central and local governments introduces potential endogeneity in their allocation. We address this with a novel IV strategy exploiting predetermined public-housing characteristics. For 2004–2019, we estimate a sizeable increase in the Conservative–Labour vote-share gap in local elections: a one within-area standard-deviation increase in dispersed asylum seekers widens the gap by 3.1 percentage points in favour of the Conservatives. We find similar rightward shifts in national elections, survey data on voting intentions, and the Brexit Leave vote. UKIP also gains, though less robustly. No effect appears for non-dispersed asylum seekers, who forgo subsidised housing and choose residences independently. Turning to mechanisms, voters move rightward without becoming more hostile towards foreigners. Using the universe of MPs’ speeches, we show that Conservative representatives from more exposed areas emphasise asylum and migration more, with no systematic change in tone or content. Heightened issue salience appears to drive voters’ choices.
    Keywords: Brexit, elections, refugees, MP’s speeches
    JEL: F22 D72 J15
    Date: 2025–12
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18297

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