Pull factors for migration : the impact of migrant integration policies

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of migrant integration policies set by destination countries on migration from 202 origins to 27 destinations during the period 2010–2018. Employing a structural gravity methodology which features international and domestic (i.e., intra-national) migration flows, it shows that migrant integration policies, on average, positively affect cross-border migration relative to domestic migration. Moving from the 25th percentile to the median of the variable summarizing migrant integration policies increases cross-border relative to domestic migration by one third. Such impact is largely driven by policies on family reunion and permanent residence.