Migration, Diasporas and Culture: an Empirical Investigation

Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler

No 2014-27, CSAE Working Paper Series from Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford

Abstract: Using global data we examine the dynamics of migration from developing to developed countries. Origin and destination countries are characterized by substantial differences in incomes, political rights and cultures. Incentives as well as costs shape the decision to migrate. One powerful dynamic effect is that diasporas increase migration, mainly because they lower the cost of migration. Diasporas assist the next wave of migrants by overcoming the high cost of the emigration, in particular when the origin country is far away and poor. The interaction between the diaspora and cultural distance is also significant. Diasporas in culturally distant countries appear to be particularly useful in overcoming the cost of migration. Culturally distant diasporas are less likely to assimilate and maintain closer links with their country of origin, while diasporas from culturally similar countries are more likely to assimilate and thus be less useful to potential new migrants.

Keywords: Migration; development; culture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O15 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cul, nep-dev, nep-evo, nep-gro and nep-mig
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Journal Article: Migration, Diasporas and Culture: An Empirical Investigation (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:csa:wpaper:2014-27

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