IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/irn/wpaper/25-05.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Refugee Peers in Language-Support and Ability-Tracked Classes: Evidence from Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Siwar Khelifa
  • Bruno Lanz
  • Marco Pecoraro

Abstract

We study the effects of the 1990-2000 inflow of Yugoslav refugees to Switzerland on incumbent pupils. Using administrative records from Geneva, we examine two integration mechanisms: language-support classes before entering regular classes and ability-based sorting into academic tracks. We find asymmetric effects between immigrant and native incumbents. First, a higher refugee concentration in language classes reduces grade repetition among low-achieving immigrants but increases it among natives. Second, a higher within-track refugee concentration improves immigrants' upward track transitions but raises natives' risk of downward transitions. Cross-track spillovers also arise: high-track refugees increase natives' upward transitions whereas low-track refugees lower downward transitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Siwar Khelifa & Bruno Lanz & Marco Pecoraro, 2025. "Refugee Peers in Language-Support and Ability-Tracked Classes: Evidence from Switzerland," IRENE Working Papers 25-05, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:irn:wpaper:25-05
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www5.unine.ch/RePEc/ftp/irn/pdfs/WP25-05.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abdulmohsen Almuhaisen, 2024. "Refugee influx and school enrollment among native youths in Jordan," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Assaad, Ragui & Ginn, Thomas & Saleh, Mohamed, 2023. "Refugees and the education of host populations: Evidence from the Syrian inflow to Jordan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Assaad, Ragui & Ginn, Thomas & Saleh, Mohamed, 2023. "Refugees and the education of host populations: Evidence from the Syrian inflow to Jordan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    4. Dylan Conger, 2015. "Foreign-born Peers and Academic Performance," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(2), pages 569-592, April.
    5. Scott E. Carrell & Mark Hoekstra & Elira Kuka, 2018. "The Long-Run Effects of Disruptive Peers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(11), pages 3377-3415, November.
    6. Mathieu Couttenier & Veronica Petrencu & Dominic Rohner & Mathias Thoenig, 2019. "The Violent Legacy of Conflict: Evidence on Asylum Seekers, Crime, and Public Policy in Switzerland," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(12), pages 4378-4425, December.
    7. Esther Duflo & Pascaline Dupas & Michael Kremer, 2011. "Peer Effects, Teacher Incentives, and the Impact of Tracking: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Kenya," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(5), pages 1739-1774, August.
    8. George J. Borjas & Joan Monras, 2017. "The labour market consequences of refugee supply shocks," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 32(91), pages 361-413.
    9. Laurent Bossavie, 2020. "The Effect of Immigration on Natives’ School Performance: Does Length of Stay in the Host Country Matter?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(2), pages 733-766.
    10. Card, David, 2001. "Immigrant Inflows, Native Outflows, and the Local Labor Market Impacts of Higher Immigration," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(1), pages 22-64, January.
    11. Joshua D. Angrist & Adriana D. Kugler, 2003. "Protective or counter-productive? labour market institutions and the effect of immigration on eu natives," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(488), pages 302-331, June.
    12. Rosario Maria Ballatore & Margherita Fort & Andrea Ichino, 2018. "Tower of Babel in the Classroom: Immigrants and Natives in Italian Schools," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(4), pages 885-921.
    13. Timothy M. Diette & Ruth Uwaifo Oyelere, 2014. "Gender and Race Heterogeneity: The Impact of Students with Limited English on Native Students' Performance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(5), pages 412-417, May.
    14. Rohner, Dominic & Couttenier, Mathieu & Preotu, Veronica, 2016. "The Violent Legacy of Victimization: Post-Conflict Evidence on Asylum Seekers, Crimes and Public Policy in Switzerland," CEPR Discussion Papers 11079, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mevlude Akbulut‐Yuksel & Naci Mocan & Semih Tumen & Belgi Turan, 2024. "The crime effect of refugees," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 472-508, March.
    2. Verme, Paolo & Schuettler, Kirsten, 2021. "The impact of forced displacement on host communities: A review of the empirical literature in economics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Marco Pecoraro & Bruno Lanz & Didier Ruedin, 2025. "Refugee migration, unemployment and anti-asylum attitudes: Evidence from the 1990s Yugoslav refugee crisis," IRENE Working Papers 25-03, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    4. Frattini, Tommaso & Meschi, Elena, 2019. "The effect of immigrant peers in vocational schools," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-22.
    5. Tumen, Semih & Vlassopoulos, Michael & Wahba, Jackline, 2021. "Training Teachers for Diversity Awareness: Impact on School Attendance of Refugee Children," IZA Discussion Papers 14557, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Chuard, Caroline & Aerne, Annatina & Eugster, Beatrix & Hodler, Roland, 2025. "Ethnic clustering in schools and early career outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. David Figlio & Paola Giuliano & Riccardo Marchingiglio & Umut Ozek & Paola Sapienza, 2024. "Diversity in Schools: Immigrants and the Educational Performance of U.S.-Born Students," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(2), pages 972-1006.
    8. Edo, Anthony & Özgüzel, Cem, 2023. "The impact of immigration on the employment dynamics of European regions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    9. Valentine Fays & Benoît Mahy & François Ryckx, 2024. "Do migrants displace native-born workers on the labour market? The impact of workers’ origin," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2024004, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    10. Morales, Camila, 2022. "Do refugee students affect the academic achievement of peers? Evidence from a large urban school district," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    11. Edo, Anthony & Rapoport, Hillel, 2019. "Minimum wages and the labor market effects of immigration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    12. Borjas, George J. & Edo, Anthony, 2021. "Gender, Selection into Employment, and the Wage Impact of Immigration," IZA Discussion Papers 14261, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Achyuta Adhvaryu, Cesar Anzola-Bravo Ana María Tribín-Uribe & Leonardo Bonilla-Mej�a, Juan Carlos Castro-Fern�ndez Oscar �vila-Montealegre & �nderson Grajales-Olarte, Alexander Guar�n Luz A. Fl�rez & , 2020. "Migración desde Venezuela en Colombia: caracterización del fenómeno y análisis de los efectos macroeconómicos," Revista ESPE - Ensayos Sobre Política Económica, Banco de la República, issue 97, pages 1-74.
    14. Meschi, Elena & Pavese, Caterina, 2023. "Ability composition in the class and the school performance of immigrant students," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    15. Edo, Anthony & Özgüzel, Cem, 2024. "Corrigendum to “The impact of immigration on the employment dynamics of European regions” [Labor Economics, Volume 85, 2023, 102433]," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Anelli, Massimo & Shih, Kevin Y. & Williams, Kevin, 2017. "Foreign Peer Effects and STEM Major Choice," IZA Discussion Papers 10743, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Aksu, Ege & Erzan, Refik & Kırdar, Murat Güray, 2022. "The impact of mass migration of Syrians on the Turkish labor market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    18. Aksoy, Cevat Giray & Tumen, Semih, 2021. "Local Governance Quality and the Environmental Cost of Forced Migration," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    19. Fays, Valentine & Mahy, Benoît & Rycx, François, 2024. "Do migrants displace native-born workers on the labour market? The impact of workers' origin," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1420, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Alexandra de Gendre & Krzysztof Karbownik & Nicolás Salamanca & Yves Zenou, 2024. "Integrating Minorities in the Classroom: The Role of Students, Parents, and Teachers," NBER Working Papers 32429, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:irn:wpaper:25-05. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Siwar Khelifa (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/irenech.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.