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The Political Economy of Refugee Migration

Author

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  • Czaika Mathias

    (Department for International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg, Platz der Alten Synagoge 1, 79085 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

This article examines the driving forces of the magnitude, composition and duration of refugee movements caused by conflict and persecution. The decision to seek temporary or permanent refuge in the region of origin or in a more distant asylum destination is based on inter-temporal optimization. We find that asylum seeking in Western countries is rather a phenomenon of comparatively less persecuted people. In an attempt to reduce their respective asylum burdens, Western countries and host countries in the region of origin are likely to end up in a race to the bottom of restrictive asylum policies. Alternatively, this study shows that, under certain circumstances, proactive refugee-related aid transfers are an effective instrument to relieve Western countries from asylum pressure.

Suggested Citation

  • Czaika Mathias, 2009. "The Political Economy of Refugee Migration," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 229(6), pages 803-824, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:229:y:2009:i:6:p:803-821
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2009-0609
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Djajic, Slobodan & Milbourne, Ross, 1988. "A general equilibrium model of guest-worker migration : The source-country perspective," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3-4), pages 335-351, November.
    2. Todaro, Michael P, 1969. "A Model for Labor Migration and Urban Unemployment in Less Developed Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(1), pages 138-148, March.
    3. Dustmann, Christian, 2003. "Return migration, wage differentials, and the optimal migration duration," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 353-369, April.
    4. Raffelhuschen, Bernd, 1992. "Labor migration in Europe : Experiences from Germany after unification," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 1453-1471, October.
    5. Eric Neumayer, 2004. "Asylum Destination Choice," European Union Politics, , vol. 5(2), pages 155-180, June.
    6. Timothy J. Hatton, 2005. "European Asylum Policy," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 194(1), pages 106-119, October.
    7. Timothy J. Hatton, 2004. "Seeking asylum in Europe [‘Violence against citizens in civil wars: looting or terror?’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 19(38), pages 6-62.
    8. Harris, John R & Todaro, Michael P, 1970. "Migration, Unemployment & Development: A Two-Sector Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 126-142, March.
    9. Oded Stark, 1991. "The Migration of Labor," Blackwell Books, Wiley Blackwell, number 1557860300, April.
    10. Eric Neumayer, 2005. "Asylum Recognition Rates in Western Europe," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 49(1), pages 43-66, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jon Echevarria & Javier Gardeazabal, 2016. "Refugee gravitation," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 269-292, December.
    2. Dreher, Axel & Lang, Valentin & Reinsberg, Bernhard, 2024. "Aid effectiveness and donor motives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Anne-Marie Jeannet & Tobias Heidland & Martin Ruhs, 2021. "What asylum and refugee policies do Europeans want? Evidence from a cross-national conjoint experiment," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(3), pages 353-376, September.
    4. Geraldine Bocquého & Marc Deschamps & Jenny Helstroffer & Julien Jacob & Majlinda Joxhe, 2018. "Risk and Refugee Migration," Working Papers of BETA 2018-16, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    5. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6mekga2ph18vda5qbuop2ckgkn is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6mekga2ph18vda5qbuop2ckgkn is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Dimiter Doychinov Toshkov, 2014. "The dynamic relationship between asylum applications and recognition rates in Europe (1987–2010)," European Union Politics, , vol. 15(2), pages 192-214, June.
    8. Seraina Rüegger & Heidrun Bohnet, 2018. "The Ethnicity of Refugees (ER): A new dataset for understanding flight patterns1," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 35(1), pages 65-88, January.
    9. Bocquého, Géraldine & Deschamps, Marc & Helstroffer, Jenny & Jacob, Julien & Joxhe, Majlinda, 2023. "Modelling refugee migration under cognitive biases: Experimental evidence and policy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    10. Martina Burmann & Marcus Drometer & Romuald Méango, 2017. "The Political Economy of European Asylum Policies," ifo Working Paper Series 245, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    11. Ugo Igariwey Iduma & Musa Yahi Musa, 2019. "Nigerian Refugees in Cameroon: Understanding the Politics of Voluntary Refugee Repatriation," Journal of Public Administration and Governance, Macrothink Institute, vol. 9(1), pages 290-310, March.
    12. Djajić, Slobodan, 2014. "Asylum seeking and irregular migration," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 83-95.
    13. Jon Echevarria-Coco & Javier Gardeazabal, 2021. "A Spatial Model of Internal Displacement and Forced Migration," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 65(2-3), pages 591-618, February.

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