The effects of asylum seeker self-selection on the integration in the host country

In this paper we study the process of self-selections undertaken by asylum seekers hosted in temporary reception center in Italy, in the Province of Parma. In particular, by differentiating migrants on the basis of their countries of origin and of their countries of destination we identify different groups in the sample population: refugees and illegal migrants, people directed to Europe and people directed outside Europe. Leveraging on the randomness of the sample with regard to both the dimensions previously mentioned, we compare these groups to identify their specific characteristics. The relevance of this distinction introduced in the population of asylum seekers is then tested with respect to integration outcomes. In particular, we consider the proficiency in the Italian language and the effort exerted by migrants for labour market integration. In both areas, refugees obtain performances which are worse than those of illegal migrants. This result has potentially sizable policy implications as the country of origin of asylum seekers is an information which is recorded soon after arrival. This knowledge can be used to design integration policies which are different for refugees and illegal migrants.