International Migration: Driver of Political and Social Change?

44 Pages Posted: 21 Mar 2016 Last revised: 25 Apr 2023

See all articles by Michele Tuccio

Michele Tuccio

University of Southampton

Jackline Wahba

University of Southampton, Department of Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Bachir Hamdouch

Mohammed V University – Agdal, FSJES de Rabat

Abstract

This paper focuses on the impact of international migration on the transfer of political and social norms. Exploiting recent and unique data on Morocco, it explores whether households with return and current migrants bear different political preferences and behaviours than non-migrant families. Once controlling for the double selection into emigration and return migration, findings suggest that having a returnee in the household increases the demand for political and social change, driven by returnees mostly from Western European countries, who have been exposed to more democratic norms at destination.However, we find a negative impact of having a current migrant on the willingness to change of the left-behind household, driven by migrants to non-West countries, where the quality of political and social institutions are lower. Our results are robust to also controlling for destination selectivity. Finally, findings suggest that migration not only affect political attitudes but also actual behaviour: regions with higher returnee shares have had greater participation rates in the 2011 political elections.

Keywords: international migration, political change, transfer of norms, Morocco

JEL Classification: D72, F22, O15, O55

Suggested Citation

Tuccio, Michele and Wahba, Jackline and Hamdouch, Bachir, International Migration: Driver of Political and Social Change?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9794, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2750277 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2750277

Michele Tuccio (Contact Author)

University of Southampton ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

Jackline Wahba

University of Southampton, Department of Economics ( email )

Southampton, SO171BJ
United Kingdom
+44 23 8059 3996 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/jackiewahba/

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Bachir Hamdouch

Mohammed V University – Agdal, FSJES de Rabat ( email )

Angle avenue Allal El Fassi
Mfadel Cherkaoui, Al Irfane
Rabat, RABAT 10000
Morocco

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