Cross-Country Performance in Social Integration of Older Migrants. A European Perspective

Caroline Berchet () and Nicolas Sirven ()
Additional contact information
Caroline Berchet: IRDES Institute for research and information in health economics

No DT46, Working Papers from IRDES institut for research and information in health economics

Abstract: This paper provides new empirical evidence on the relationship between migration and social integration. It explores the hypothesis that migrants essentially differ from non-migrants with regard to the length of residence in the country – which is a proxy of migrants’ social distance to natives. The determinants of social participation and interpersonal trust are examined at both the individual and institutional level. Using SHARE data and macroeconomic series, we first analyse the influence of immigrant length of stay in the host country on social integration indicators. We then examine the role institutional characteristics play on cross-country differences in speed of social integration (i.e. immigrants’ propensity to social participation according to their length of stay in the host country). As expected, the immigrant population presents a lower likelihood than the native population to get involved in social activities and to trust other people. Nevertheless, the more immigrants have spent time in the host country, the more they take part in social activities. The analysis also reveals significant cross-country differences in immigrants’ speed of social integration. Macroeconomic series like the GINI coefficient of income inequality and the Corruption perceived index could explain these differences. From a public policy perspective, our results suggest that immigrants’ social integration is more rapidly achieved in “fair” countries – i.e. those with a more favourable social environment – where the levels of income inequality and perceived corruption are lower.

Keywords: Social capital; Ageing; Income inequality; Multilevel models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C31 F22 O52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2012-03, Revised 2012-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-eur, nep-mig and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.irdes.fr/EspaceAnglais/Publications/Wo ... ionOlderMigrants.pdf First version, 2012 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:irh:wpaper:dt46

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from IRDES institut for research and information in health economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jacques Harrouin ().