Essays on migration between Senegal and Europe: migration attempts, investment at origin and returnees' occupational status

The aim of the thesis is to contribute to the better understanding of determinants and consequences of international migration from Senegal, a West-African country with a longstanding tradition of migration to both African and European countries. Using a longitudinal (retrospective) and multi-sited micro dataset on 'Migration between Africa and Europe' (MAFE-SN), three selected topics are explored empirically. Firstly, the research examines the role of individual and contextual factors for the migration decision-making process, analysing jointly selection into migration attempts and departure. Results indicate that selection processes at the decision and realisation stages do not necessarily coincide, for instance with regard to the role of sex, education, but also immigration policies. Secondly, the impact of international migration experience on investments in real estate or business assets in the country of origin is examined. Direct migration experience is found to stimulate investment, though the effect varies according to the type of asset, the location and the destination region. International migration also appears as a way to overcome certain social disadvantages in terms of access to property. However, nonmigrants with access to migrant networks are not more likely to invest. Thirdly, the thesis investigates the effect of return migrant status on occupational attainment in Dakar. The main result obtained, a positive effect on self-employment, conforms to previous studies' findings on other countries. Yet, when using variables on the hierarchical socio-economic status or prestige position of the occupation, the positive effect of return migration is confined to wage-employed activities. In addition to the empirical analyses, the thesis contributes to the conceptual and methodological discussion on measurement of immigration policies. A database with detailed data on immigration policies in France, Italy and Spain over the period from 1960 to 2008 is constructed and qualitative information is converted into quantitative score

Temporary migration : a review of the literature

Over the last decade, a growing body of theoretical and empirical research has attempted to uncover the mechanisms behind return migration, as well as the consequences for the migrant and her immediate personal network (household, community), the destination and the origin countries. This article provides a review of the return migration literature, focusing primarily on the microlevel perspective of migrants and their households. A typology of temporary migration is presented and return migration is placed among other types of non-permanent migratory moves. Different approaches have been proposed by the literature with regard to the identification and measurement of returnees. Finally, the theoretical literature and a selection of empirical findings on determinants, timing, selectivity as well as consequences of return migration are summarized and discussed

The role of international migration experience for investment at home: Direct, indirect, and equalising effects in Senegal

Analyse d'après les données de l'enquête MAFE (Migration between Africa and Europe

Returning to Dakar: A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Role of Migration Experience for Occupational Status

This paper applies mixed methods to examine the occupational status of Senegalese return migrants and nonmigrants in Dakar and to explore the role of differential migration experiences for occupational outcomes. The analysis uses quantitative data from the MAFE-Senegal survey (2008) and qualitative semi-structured interviews with return migrants. While returnees do not seem to drop out of the labor market, they are overrepresented among the self-employed. However, self-employment is not necessarily associated with positive migration experiences. Rather than a choice, self-employment appears to be a “last resort” for individuals who were not able to accumulate capital or prepare their return

New Skills, New Jobs: Return Migration, Skill Transfers, and Business Formation in Mexico

Numerous studies have documented a high propensity for self-employment and business formation among return migrants relative to non-migrants. The literature points to the importance of remitted savings, migration duration, and number and types of jobs abroad for business formation upon return. Implicit in this scholarship is the assumption that migrants acquire not only financial capital, but also human capital, which expands their opportunities upon return. Empirical work has demonstrated how the transfer of formal human capital, such as language skills and professional credentials, influences the mobility pathways of professional return migrants. More recent research has also found that the transfer of informal human capital, such as social and technical skills learned on the job, shape the mobility pathways of return migrants with little schooling. Absent from this scholarship, however, are studies that directly test the relationship between the transfer of informal human capital and the odds of business formation among return migrants. In this paper, we address this gap. Using a multidimensional skills variable, which includes social, technical, and English language competences, we measure and test the relationship between skill acquisition and transfer and business formation among return migrants. Drawing on findings from a survey of 200 return migrants and 200 non-migrants in Mexico, we show that return migrants who successfully acquire and transfer new skills across the migratory circuit often leverage their new knowledge to launch businesses. Our findings have wide implications for how social scientists conceptualize and measure human capital formation across the migratory circuit