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