The Effects of Migration on Children’s Activities in Households at Origin: Evidence from Senegal

Abstract

This paper examines the repercussions of international migration on children's time allocation in households at origin. We focus on children of age 7 to 12 and distinguish three activities: market work, French school attendance, and enrollment in Medersa (Arab/Islamic traditional school). In our analysis, we account for heterogeneities in migration constraints considering differences in migration destinations and the number of migrants within households. We instrument for migration using policy and governance facets in destination countries, precisely France, Spain, and Italy. Results show that – after controlling for endogeneity – migration has a positive and significant impact on enrollment in French curriculum school. However, once we account for the destination of the migrant, this positive and significant impact is only verified in households with migrants in Europe. We also note that when the number of migrants within a household increases, children of age 7 to 12 are less likely to attend French school and they are more likely to be involved in paid work activities. We draw evidence from the 2009 Senegalese household survey on migration and remittances (Enquête Ménage sur la Migration et les Transferts de Fonds).

Keywords: International migration, Child labor, Education, Time allocation, Left-behind, Senegal

JEL Classification: F22, J13, J22, O15, O5