Choice or Mimetism in the Decision to Migrate? A European Illustration

Thierry Warin and Andrew Blakely

CIRANO Working Papers from CIRANO

Abstract: This paper examines the role of herd behavior (mimetism) and network effects as determinants of bilateral migration flows to thirteen of the EU-15 countries. Using an adapted gravity model controlling for economic activity, welfare progressivity, geospatial, and historic relationships, the results force us to question the ways in which we explain migration flows. Herd behavior influences positively the flows of migrants to Europe, whereas the existence of network complementarities in the receiving country does not consistently predict and may in some cases reduce the likelihood of immigrant inflows. Moreover, economic activity and particularly labor market conditions play a lesser role in migrants' choice of location than was previously thought. The introduction of herd behavior as a determinant of European Migration in our empirical analysis changes the paradigm for understanding migration and suggests that prior definitions of social perceptions are inadequate. Cet article étudie le rôle des comportements mimétiques et des effets de réseaux dans les décisions de migration vers treize pays de l'Union européenne. En utilisant un modèle de gravité adapté à cette question et incluant des indicateurs mesurant l'activité économique, le progrès social, et les relations historiques, les résultats de cette étude précisent les méthodes traditionnelles d'évaluation des flux migratoires. Les comportements mimétiques influencent positivement les flux migratoires vers l'Europe, alors que les effets de réseaux dans le pays hôte ne prédisent pas de façon toujours satisfaisante les flux d'immigration. De plus, l'activité économique, et en particulier les conditions du marché du travail, jouent un rôle moindre que ceux mis en évidence dans des études précédentes. La prise en compte des comportements mimétiques en tant que déterminant des flux migratoires en Europe vient donc changer le paradigme pour l'étude des flux migratoires.

Keywords: migration; herd behavior; network effects; flux migratoires; comportements mimétiques; effets de réseaux (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J6 O15 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-08-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec, nep-mig and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Journal Article: Choice or Mimetism in the Decision to Migrate? A European Illustration (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cir:cirwor:2009s-38

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