Do potential migrants internalise migrant rights in OECD host societies?

This paper analyses how countries' provision of migrant rights affects potential migrants' destination choice. Combining data on bilateral migration desires from over 140 origin countries and data on policies in 38 destination countries over the period 2007-2014, we find that potential migrants tend to favour destinations that are more open to the inclusion of immigrants into their society. In particular, better access to and conditions on the labour market, as well as access to nationality and to permanent residency significantly increase the perceived attractiveness of a destination country. These results hold for subsamples of origin countries as well as of destinations and are robust to a set of methodological concerns, including endogeneity. Moreover, results of some policies vary across types of respondents. Educational opportunities for migrants, for instance, affect the migration desires of individuals aged 15 to 24 years, but not of individuals in other age groups.