Out There on Your Own: Absence of the Spouse and Migrants' Integration Outcomes

34 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2020

See all articles by Friedrich Poeschel

Friedrich Poeschel

European University Institute - Migration Policy Centre

Date Written: February 5, 2020

Abstract

In many countries, policies on family reunification of migrants are under review. Rules have become more restrictive in a number of cases, with unknown consequences for integration. This paper investigates quantitatively how absence of the spouse affects a migrant’s integration outcomes in the long term. A theoretical model of migrant’s investment behaviour predicts that migrants tend to focus on the short term rather than long-term wage growth, until the spouse arrives and the probability of staying increases. Using the American Community Survey, I estimate the effects from absence of the spouse and delays in the spouse’s arrival. An instrumental variable is used to isolate the causal effect of delays. The results indicate that migrants focus more on work when their spouse is absent and that delays significantly decrease their long-term wages, by around 2% per year of delay.

Keywords: migration, family, spouse, integration, family separation, family reunification

JEL Classification: J61, J12, J15

Suggested Citation

Poeschel, Friedrich, Out There on Your Own: Absence of the Spouse and Migrants' Integration Outcomes (February 5, 2020). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. 2020/04 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3532303 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3532303

Friedrich Poeschel (Contact Author)

European University Institute - Migration Policy Centre ( email )

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