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Migrants at Sea: Unintended Consequences of Search and Rescue Operations

Claudio Deiana, Vikram Maheshri and Giovanni Mastrobuoni

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 335-65

Abstract: Many countries are facing and resisting strong migratory pressure, fueling irregular migration. In response to mounting deaths in the Central Mediterranean, European nations intensified rescue operations in 2013. We develop a model of irregular migration to identify the effects of these operations. We find that smugglers responded by sending boats in adverse weather and utilizing flimsy rafts, thus inducing more crossings in dangerous conditions and ultimately offsetting intended safety benefits due to moral hazard. Despite the increased risk, these operations likely increased aggregate migrant welfare; nevertheless, a more successful policy should instead restrict supply of rafts and expand legal alternatives.

JEL-codes: D82 J15 J18 K37 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Migrants at Sea: Unintended Consequences of Search and Rescue Operations (2021) Downloads
Working Paper: Migrants at Sea: Unintended Consequences of Search and Rescue Operations (2020) Downloads
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DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220014

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