Remittances, Migrants' Education and Immigration Policy: Theory and Evidence from Bilateral Data

Arbeitspapier

We investigate the relationship between remittances and migrants' education both theoretically and empirically, using original bilateral remittance data. At a theoretical level we lay out a model of remittances interacting migrants' human capital with two dimensions of immigration policy: restrictiveness, and selectivity. The model predicts that the relationship between remittances and migrants' education is ambiguous and depends on the immigration policy conducted at destination. The effect of education is more likely to be positive when the immigration policy is more restrictive and less skill-selective. These predictions are then tested empirically using bilateral remittance and migration data and proxy measures for the restrictiveness and selectivity of immigration policies at destination. The results strongly support the theoretical analysis, suggesting that immigration policies determine the sign and magnitude of the relationship between remittances and migrants' education.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CReAM Discussion Paper Series ; No. 19/11

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Remittances ; International Migration ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration ; Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
• Subject: Remittances ; Migration ; Brain Drain ; Immigration Policy

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Docquier, Frédéric ; Rapoport, Hillel ; Salomone, Sara
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Centre for Research & Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London
• (where): London
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET