Temporary Migration in Theories of International Mobility of Labour

Abstract

There is an increasing awareness of an empirical relevance of temporary migration. This literature overview attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge about drivers and economic role of temporary migration. It sets together elements of relevant theories of initiation, perpetuation and return migration, international trade and conclusions from a growing body of empirical literature on returns, remittances and behavior of immigrants in host economies, including labor markets. Distinguishing between permanent and temporary migration may help to explain not only the dynamics of the actual labor force movements but also to better describe their impact on source and host economies.

Keywords: temporary migration, migration theory, return migration, remittances

JEL Classification: F22, J61