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The Role of Remittances in Migration Decision: Evidence from Turkish Migration

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  • Sule Akkoyunlu
  • Boriss Siliverstovs

Abstract

In this study we analyse the impact of workers' remittances on the decision to migrate by means of cointegration analysis. In traditional migration theories, especially in human capital models, the decision to migrate is based upon comparison of expected future incomes in the sending and the receiving countries adjusted for the cost of migration. By contrast, the new economics of labour migration suggests that the migration decision is made jointly by the migrant and his family. One important element of this theory is the role of remittances that is absent in traditional migration theories. In this paper we test traditional migration theories against the new economics of labour migration. The study covers the Turkish migration to Germany over the period 1964-2004. A single cointegrating relation between the migration inflows and the relative income ratio between Germany and Turkey, the unemployment rates in Germany and Turkey, the trade intensity variable, and workers' remittances (relative to Turkish GDP) is found. We find workers' remittances to be significant in explaining migration both in the short- as well as in the long-run.

Suggested Citation

  • Sule Akkoyunlu & Boriss Siliverstovs, 2007. "The Role of Remittances in Migration Decision: Evidence from Turkish Migration," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 691, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp691
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    Cited by:

    1. Sule Akkoyunlu, 2012. "Dış ticaret, ekonomik yardım, doğrudan yabancı yatırımlar ve göçmen dövizleri Türkiye'den olan göçü frenleyebilir mi?," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 9(4), pages 311-327, December.
    2. Sule Akkoyunlu, 2010. "Can trade, aid, foreign direct investments and remittances curb migration from Turkey?," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 7(2), pages 144-158, October.
    3. Bettin, Giulia & Paçacı Elitok, Seçil & Straubhaar, Thomas, 2012. "Causes and consequences of the downturn in financial remittances to Turkey: A descriptive approach," Edition HWWI: Chapters, in: Paçacı Elitok, Seçil & Straubhaar, Thomas (ed.), Turkey, migration and the EU, volume 5, pages 133-166, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Migration; trade; remittances; the new economic of migration; cointegration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models

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