Global Migration Revisited: Short-Term Pains, Long-Term Gains, and the Potential of South-South Migration

Abstract

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Towards Safer and More Productive Migration for South Asia

“…Although migration opponents in high-income countries have often argued that low-skilled migrants "crowd out" jobs of native workers, many studies have found that this is not the case. Ahmed, Go, and Willenbockel (2016) show that while migration can push down the wages of native workers in the short run, the long-run impacts on incomes of native-born workers is positive. These short run effects depend on the degree of substitutability of migrants' skills with those of natives.…”

“…In the longer run, the wages of workers who were negatively impacted do not only recover but even exceed pre-migration wages. Overall, natives of high-income receiving countries gain the most due to larger increases in capital return and quicker capital formation (Ahmed, Go, and Willenbockel 2016). While the wages of natives with similar skills of immigrants can decline in the short run, natives with complementary skills typically benefit from an inflow of migrants (World Bank 2018).…”

Demographic Change and Development: Looking at Challenges and Opportunities through a New Typology

“…As migrant-sending countries develop and inequality within recipient countries declines, the economic incentives for migration could become less pronounced. High-income countries tend to be the most popular destinations for migrants, and most migrants come from developing countries (Ahmed, Go, and Willenbockel 2016). 6 The broader impact of development on migration, however, depends on the patterns of growth.…”

Conflict-Induced Migration and the Refugee Crisis: Global and Local Perspectives from Peacebuilding and Development

“…• Are host communities expected to shoulder added burdens placed upon their resources (OECD 2012), or are the refugees portrayed as labour and cultural dividends (Ahmed et al 2016)?…”