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How Mass Immigration Affects Countries with Weak Economic Institutions: A Natural Experiment in Jordan

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  • Alex Nowrasteh
  • Andrew C Forrester
  • Cole Blondin

Abstract

To what extent does immigration affect the economic institutions in destination countries? While there is much evidence that economic institutions in developed nations are either unaffected or improved after immigration, there is little evidence of how immigration affects the economic institutions of developing countries that typically have weaker institutions. Using the Synthetic Control Method, this study estimates a significant and long-lasting positive effect on Jordanian economic institutions from the surge of refugees from the First Gulf War. The surge of refugees to Jordan in 1990–1991 was massive, equal to 10 percent of Jordan’s population in 1990. Importantly, these refugees were able to have a large and direct impact on Jordanian economic institutions because they could work, live, and vote immediately upon entry due to a quirk in Jordanian law. The refugee surge was the main mechanism by which Jordan’s economic institutions improved in the decades that followed.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Nowrasteh & Andrew C Forrester & Cole Blondin, 2020. "How Mass Immigration Affects Countries with Weak Economic Institutions: A Natural Experiment in Jordan," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 533-549.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbecrv:v:34:y:2020:i:2:p:533-549.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/wber/lhy032
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    Cited by:

    1. Lili Yao & J. Brandon Bolen & Claudia R. Williamson, 2021. "The effect of mass legalization on US state-level institutions: Evidence from the immigration reform and control act," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 427-463, December.
    2. Forrester, Andrew C. & Powell, Benjamin & Nowrasteh, Alex & Landgrave, Michelangelo, 2019. "Do immigrants import terrorism?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 529-543.
    3. Ryan H. Murphy, 2021. "The Soft Stuff of Institutional Development: Culture, Cohesion, and Economic Freedom," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 36(Summer 20), pages 37-66.
    4. Cachanosky, Nicolás & Padilla, Alexandre & Gómez, Alejandro, 2021. "Immigration and institutional change: Did mass immigration cause peronism in argentina?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1-15.
    5. Kırdar, Murat G. & López Cruz, Ivan & Türküm, Betül, 2022. "The effect of 3.6 million refugees on crime," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 568-582.
    6. Michael Christian Lehmann, 2023. "Macroeconomic volatility and anti‐refugee violence in developing countries: Evidence from commodity price shocks," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 992-1012, May.
    7. Jamie Bologna Pavlik & Estefania Lujan Padilla & Benjamin Powell, 2021. "Simpler Evidence on Immigration and Institutions: An Assessment," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 18(1), pages 1-21–34, March.
    8. Alexandre Padilla & Nicolás Cachanosky & Jonathan Beck, 2020. "Immigration and Economic Freedom: Does Education Matter?," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 35(Spring 20), pages 29-57.
    9. Billy, Alexander & Packard, Michael, 2022. "Crime and the Mariel Boatlift," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    10. Lili Yao & J. Brandon Bolen & Claudia R. Williamson, 2022. "Are economic arguments against immigration missing the boat? The fiscal effects of the Mariel Boatlift," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(2), pages 305-325, October.
    11. Murat Demirci, 2021. "Rising Political Populism and Outmigration of Youth as International Students," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 2123, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    12. Demirci, Murat, 2023. "Youth responses to political populism: Education abroad as a step toward emigration," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 653-673.
    13. Justin Callais & Andrew T. Young, 2021. "Does constitutional entrenchment matter for economic freedom?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(4), pages 808-830, October.
    14. Ryan H. Murphy, 2021. "Plausibly exogenous causes of economic freedom," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 85-105, April.
    15. Colin O'Reilly, 2021. "Violent conflict and institutional change," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(2), pages 257-317, April.

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