1 / 19

Political Economy Challenges in the Migration Policy Agenda

Political Economy Challenges in the Migration Policy Agenda. Robert E.B. Lucas Boston University. Both Economic and Non-Economic Factors Shape Political Attitudes to Migration Attitudes vary both among hosts and countries of origin. Migrant Stock in OECD Countries.

donoma
Download Presentation

Political Economy Challenges in the Migration Policy Agenda

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Political Economy Challenges in the Migration Policy Agenda Robert E.B. Lucas Boston University

  2. Both Economic and Non-Economic Factors Shape Political Attitudes to Migration Attitudes vary both among hosts and countries of origin

  3. Migrant Stock in OECD Countries UN Wallchart 2005; Dumont & Lemaitre, 2004; Docquier & Marfouk, 2005

  4. Simulated global income gains from expanded migration are very large • Migrants are the big winners (despite commercialization) • Net impacts on host countries positive and small • Though with large distributional consequences (Walmsley and Winters, 2002; GEP, 2006)

  5. Preference for highly educated migrants among OECD countries • Though simulated global gains larger • for expanded unskilled migration • Who gains? • Fiscal contribution and ageing issue • Non-economic factors

  6. US Attitudes(Hanson, Scheve, Slaughter 2005) • States with high skilled migrants are less likely to oppose immigration • Less skilled oppose freer migration in states with high immigration • But less opposed if high skilled migration • High skilled more negative about migration in states where migrants fiscal burden

  7. High Skill Migration to OECD Growing RapidlyPercent of tertiary educated population abroad in OECD: 2000 Source: Mapped from Docquier and Marfouk (2005)

  8. High Skill Migration to N America DominatesExpatriates in OECD Countries: 2000

  9. Restraint or compensation by hosts unlikely • Student recruitment as part of strategy • Harm unclear - results mixed • Home country responses?

  10. Temporary migration schemes proliferating: Attractions? • Hosts • Flexibility (management) • Substitute for irregular (or stimulus) • Fiscal impacts (ageing) • Origin • Remittances • Skill acquisition (relevance)

  11. Poverty alleviation greatestfrom low-skill circular migration • High levels of remittances reach poor • Low skill workers at home benefit

  12. Low-Skill Temporary Migration Schemes Present Dilemmas • Integration and rights of migrants Family separation & social effects • Managing return Transferable pension schemes Mode 4 and contracting Cost of re-entry

  13. But migration of low skilled workers to OECD is largely from neighboring countries

  14. South-South Migration Dominates For Low Skill Workers From Low Income Countries Most is irregular Calls for bilateral/regional agreements

  15. On the political economy of refugees • 7.1 % of world migrant stock in 2005 • Refugees as a ‘public bad’ • State strategic action shifts responsibility

  16. Countries of Asylum: Refugees per 1000 Population 2002

  17. Few countries have high emigration ratesNet (e)migration per 1000 population: 2000-2005 UN Wallchart, 2005

  18. Emigration is not a substitute for development • Impact on those left at home is mixed • Risk of dependency on migration • Sudden cessation • Moral hazard and job creation • But an important safety valve where • Failure to provide jobs • Failure to provide security

More Related