Controlling immigration? How regulations affect migration flows

DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12279
URL:	https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1...
Weitere URL:	https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324806625...
Dokumenttyp:	Zeitschriftenartikel
Erscheinungsjahr:	2019
Titel einer Zeitschrift oder einer Reihe:	European Journal of Political Research
Band/Volume:	58
Heft/Issue:	1
Seitenbereich:	248-269
Ort der Veröffentlichung:	Oxford
Verlag:	Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN:	0304-4130 , 1475-6765
Sprache der Veröffentlichung:	Englisch
Einrichtung:	Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften > Soziologie mit Schwerpunkt Migration u. Integration (Helbling 2020-)
Fachgebiet:	320 Politik
Abstract:	The aim of this article is to investigate whether or not and how immigration policies affect immigration flows. Such policy impacts have hardly been investigated so far as the necessary data is lacking. For the first time, two new datasets are combined to systematically measure immigration policies and bilateral migration flows for 33 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) destination countries from over 170 countries of origin over the period 1982–2010. The study finds that immigration policies have an important effect on immigration flows and thus that states are able to control their borders. To some extent the control capacities depend on other factors in attracting or deterring immigrants. The article shows that the deterrence effect of restrictive immigration policies increases when unemployment rates are high. It appears that, in these contexts, states start to care more about effectively protecting their national economy. Moreover, policies are more effective for migrant groups from former colonies or when the stock of this group is already high in a destination country. In these circumstances, information on border regulations are more easily disseminated, which in turn makes them more effective.