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Diasporas

Author Info

  • Michel BEINE

    (UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG and CES-Ifo)

  • Frederic DOCQUIER

    (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES))

  • Caglar OZDEN

    (WORLD BANK, Development Research Group)

Abstract

Migration flows are shaped by a complex combination of self-selection and out-selection mechanisms. In this paper, we analyze how existing diasporas (the stock of people born in a country and living in an another one) affect the size and human-capital structure of current migration flows. Our analysis exploits a bilateral data set on international migration by educational attainment from 195 countries to 30 OECD countries in 1990 and 2000. Based on simple micro-foundations and controlling for various determinants of migration, we find diasporas increase migration flows, lower their average educational level and lead to higher concentration of low-skill migrants. Interestingly, diasporas explain majority of the variability of migration flows and selection. This suggests that, without changing the generosity of family reution programs, education-based selection rules are likely to have moderate impact. Our results are highly robust to the econometric techniques, accounting for the large proportion of zeros and endogeneity problems

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Paper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES) in its series Discussion Papers (IRES - Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales) with number 2009002.

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Length: 41
Date of creation: 01 Feb 2009
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvir:2009002
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Keywords: Migration; self-selection; network-diaspora externalities;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
  • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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Blog mentions

As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
  1. World Bank Working Paper: Diasporas
    by Liam Delaney in Geary Behaviour Centre on 2009-11-15 23:40:00

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  1. > International Economics > International Migration
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