Return Migration: Theory and Empirical Evidence
Abstract
In this paper we discuss forms of migration that are non-permanent. We focus on temporary migrations where the decision to return is taken by the immigrant. These migrations are likely to be frequent, and we provide some evidence for the UK. We then develop a simple model which rationalizes the decision of a migrant to return to his home country, despite a persistently higher wage in the host country. We consider three motives for a temporary migration: Differences in relative prices in host- and home country, complementarities between consumption and the location where consumption takes place, and the possibility of accumulating human capital abroad which enhances the immigrant's earnings potential back home. For the last return motive, we discuss extensions which allow for immigrant heterogeneity, and develop implications for selective in- and out- migration.Download Info
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Paper provided by Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London in its series CReAM Discussion Paper Series with number 0702.Length:
Date of creation: Feb 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:crm:wpaper:0702
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Related research
Keywords: Life Cycle Models; International Migration; Return Migration;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- D9 - Microeconomics - - Intertemporal Choice and Growth
- F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2007-04-28 (All new papers)
- NEP-LTV-2007-04-28 (Unemployment, Inequality & Poverty)
- NEP-MIG-2007-04-28 (Economics of Human Migration)
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- George J. Borjas, 1988.
"Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants,"
NBER Working Papers
2248, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Borjas, George J, 1987. "Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(4), pages 531-53, September.
Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Philippe DE VREYER & Flore GUBERT & Anne-Sophie ROBILLIARD, 2010.
"Are There Returns to Migration Experience? An Empirical Analysis using Data on Return Migrants and Non-Migrants in West Africa,"
Annales d'Economie et de Statistique,
ENSAE, issue 97-98, pages 307-328.
- Robilliard, Anne-Sophie & Gubert, Flore & de Vreyer, Philippe, 2010. "Are there Returns to Migration Experience? An Empirical Analysis Using Data on Return Migrants and Non-Migrants in West Africa," Open Access publications from Université Paris-Dauphine urn:hdl:123456789/5128, Université Paris-Dauphine.
- Besancenot, Damien & Vranceanu, Radu, 2008.
"Migratory policy in developing countries: how to bring best people back?,"
ESSEC Working Papers
DR 08017, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
- Damien Besancenot & Radu Vranceanu, 2008. "Migratory Policy In Developing Countries: How To Bring Best People Back?," CEPN Working Papers halshs-00344929, HAL.
- Govert Bijwaard & Qi Wang, 2013.
"Return Migration of Foreign Students,"
Norface Discussion Paper Series
2013005, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.
- Bijwaard, Govert & Wang, Qi, 2013. "Return Migration of Foreign Students," IZA Discussion Papers 7185, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Govert E. Bijwaard & Christian Schluter & Jackline Wahba, 2011.
"The Impact of Labour Market Dynamics on the Return-Migration of Immigrants,"
Norface Discussion Paper Series
2011007, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.
- Bijwaard, Govert & Schluter, Christian & Wahba, Jackline, 2011. "The Impact of Labour Market Dynamics on the Return-Migration of Immigrants," IZA Discussion Papers 5722, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Monteleone, Simona & Torrisi, Benedetto, 2010. "A Micro Data Analisys Of Italy’s Brain Drain," MPRA Paper 20995, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Hazans, Mihails & Philips, Kaia, 2011. "The Post-Enlargement Migration Experience in the Baltic Labor Markets," IZA Discussion Papers 5878, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Govert E. Bijwaard, 2008. "Modeling Migration Dynamics of Immigrants," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-070/4, Tinbergen Institute.
- Riccardo Faini & Steiner Strom & Alessandra Venturini & Claudia Villosio, 2009.
"Are Foreign Migrants more Assimilated than Native Ones?,"
LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series
96, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
- Faini, Riccardo & Strom, Steinar & Venturini, Alessandra & Villosio, Claudia, 2009. "Are Foreign Migrants More Assimilated Than Native Ones?," IZA Discussion Papers 4639, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Bijwaard, Govert, 2009.
"Labour Market Status and Migration Dynamics,"
IZA Discussion Papers
4530, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Bijwaard, G.E., 2009. "Labour Market Status and Migration Dynamics," Econometric Institute Report EI 2009-25, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute.
- Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Stillman, Steven, 2008.
"Emigration and the Age Profile of Retirement among Immigrants,"
IZA Discussion Papers
3874, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Deborah Cobb-Clark & Steven Stillman, 2008. "Emigration and the Age Profile of Retirement Among Immigrants," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 0815, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
- Simona Monteleone & Benedetto Torrisi, 2010. "A micro data analysis of Italy’s brain drain," Discussion Papers 4_2010, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
- Philippe De Vreyer & Flore Gubert & Anne-Sophie Robilliard, 2009. "Return Migrants in Western Africa: Characteristics and Labour Market Performance," Working Papers DT/2009/06, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
- Bijwaard, Govert & van Doeselaar, Stijn, 2012. "The Impact of Divorce on Return-Migration of Family Migrants," IZA Discussion Papers 6852, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Govert Bijwaard, 2010. "Immigrant migration dynamics model for The Netherlands," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1213-1247, September.
- Simona Monteleone, 2009. "Brain drain e crescita economica: Una rassegna critica sugli effetti prodotti," Working Papers 2_2009, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
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