Language and culture as drivers of migration

Alicia Adsera

IZA World of Labor, 2015, No 164, 164

Abstract: As migration flows to developed countries have increased in recent decades, so have the number of countries from which migrants arrive. Thus, it is increasingly important to consider what role differences in culture and language play in migration decisions. Recent work shows that culture and language may explain migration patterns to developed countries even better than traditional economic variables, such as income per capita and unemployment rates in destination and origin countries. Differences in culture and language may create barriers that prevent the full realization of the potential economic gains from international mobility.

Keywords: linguistic proximity; cultural barriers; immigration flows; linguistic enclaves; immigration policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 J61 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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