Migrant Households Research Articles

Socio-Economic Impacts of Cyclone Aila on Migrant and Non-Migrant Households in the Southwestern Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

In 2009, the tropical cyclonic storm Aila hit 11 southwestern coastal districts in Bangladesh, which triggered migration. Many studies were conducted on the impact of Aila on southwestern coastal communities; however, no comparative study was done on migrant and non-migrant households. Therefore, this article set out to assess the impact of cyclone Aila on the socio-economic conditions of migrant and non-migrant households. The households that could not cope with the impact, resulting in at least one household member having to migrate to seek an alternative source of income, were considered migrant households. On the other hand, non-migrant households were considered as those where no one migrated. The unit of analysis was the households. The research was conducted in the Koyra and Shymnagar sub-districts of Khulna and Satkhira, respectively. Mixed-method analysis was carried out using quantitative data collected from 270 households through a survey and qualitative data through 2 focus group discussions, 12 key informant interviews, and informal discussions. Data were analyzed through a comparative analysis of the migrant and non-migrant households. The findings showed that migrant households were better equipped to recover from losses in terms of income, housing, food consumption, and loan repayments than non-migrant households. It can be argued that the options of migration or shifting livelihood are better strategies for households when dealing with climatic events. Furthermore, the outcome of this research could contribute to the growing body of knowledge in an area where there are evident gaps. The findings could support policymakers and researchers to understand the impacts of similar climatic events, as well as the necessary policy interventions to deal with similar kinds of climatic events in the future. The study could be useful for developing and refining policies to recover from losses as a result of the same types of climatic events.

Agricultural technology adoption among migrant settlers and indigenous populations of the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon: are differences narrowing?

ABSTRACTWe consider trends in the use of modern agricultural inputs of migrant settlers and indigenous populations in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon and the demographic, socioeconomic, and land use-related factors affecting input use. It is widely believed that the different livelihood strategies, and therefore different relationships to the land, of indigenous populations and migrant settlers result in different uses of chemical inputs in agriculture. We analyze data from two panel surveys, one of migrant settler households and a separate panel of indigenous households. We find low input use among both types of households, particularly among two of the five main ethnicities of indigenous households in the study region, the Cofán and Waorani. Multivariate statistical models were run separately for each panel, with significant relationships found between several predictors and the use of pesticides and herbicides. Our results highlight continuing differences in land use patterns between households in the NEA.

DOES HARMFUL CLIMATE INCREASE OR DECREASE MIGRATION? EVIDENCE FROM RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN NIGERIA

This paper analyzes whether migration is an adaptation strategy that households employ to cope with climate in Nigeria. We estimate our model using the cross-sectional variation in climate and long-term migration decisions because we are interested in the average response to long-term climatic conditions. For households that operate farms, we find that the relationship between climate and migration is nonlinear. In particular, climates closer to ideal farming conditions are associated with a higher propensity to migrate, whereas in the least favorable climatic conditions, the propensity to migrate declines. The marginal effect of rainfall and temperature changes on migration varies by season. We estimate the impact of climate change on the number of migrant households in 2031–2060 and 2071–2100, ceteris paribus. With current population levels, climate change generates between 3.6 and 6.3 million additional migrants, most of them being internal. However, these estimates are not statistically significant.

Hukou Status and Individual-Level Labor Market Discrimination: An Experiment in China

This article examines discrimination based on hukou status, a legal construct that segregates locals and migrants in urban China. Local and migrant household helpers were recruited as experimental participants to interact in a standard gift exchange game (GEG) as well as a new variant of the GEG, called the wage promising game (WPG). The WPG uses non-binding wage offers and final wages that employers set after observing effort. In the GEG, both statistical and preference-based discrimination may motivate employers to offer lower wages to migrants than to locals, whereas in the WPG the statistical motive is excluded. Results reveal discrimination against migrants and show that preference-based discrimination is an important employer motive.

Rural–urban patterns of disability: The role of migration

AbstractDisability rates are higher in rural than in urban areas of the United States, raising the question: do residential preferences and selective migration of people with disabilities play a role in higher rural disability rates? Utilising concepts of environmental fit from the disability literature and ideas from classic, residential preference, and household migration studies, we examine the 2011–2015 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample to understand whether migration contributes to higher rural disability. Results show only slightly different propensities to stay in rural than in urban areas and similar destination choices of people with or without disability, suggesting that migration does little to explain higher rates of rural disability. However, we detect noteworthy differences in age migration schedules for persons with disability, persons without disability in households with disability, and persons without disability in households without disability. Disability emerges as a relevant, although underresearched, dimension in household migration research.

Feasibility of Innovative Tools and Methods to Improve Household Surveys in Complex Urban Settings: Multiple Methods Analysis of the Surveys for Urban Equity (SUE) Study in Kathmandu, Dhaka, and Hanoi

Background: The methods used in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) household surveys have not changed in four decades; however, LMIC societies have changed substantially. This mismatch may result in unintentional exclusion of vulnerable and mobile urban populations. We compare three survey method innovations with standard survey methods in Kathmandu, Dhaka, and Hanoi, and summarize feasibility of our innovative methods in terms of time, cost, skill requirements, and experiences. Methods: We used descriptive statistics and regression techniques to compare respondent characteristics in samples drawn with innovative versus standard survey designs and household definitions, adjusting for sample probability weights and clustering. Feasibility of innovative methods was evaluated using a thematic framework analysis of focus group discussions with survey field staff, and via survey planner budgets. Findings: We found that a common household definition excluded single adult (46.9%) and migrant headed households (6.7%), as well as non-married (8.5%), unemployed (10.5%), disabled (9.3%), and studying (14.3%) adults. Further, standard two-stage sampling resulted in fewer single adult and non-family households than an innovative one-stage design; however, two-stage sampling resulted in more tent and shack dwellers. Our survey innovations provided good value for money and field staff experiences were neutral or positive. Staff recommended streamlining field tools and pairing technical and survey content experts during fieldwork. Interpretation: This evidence of unintentional exclusion of vulnerable and mobile urban populations in LMIC household surveys is deeply concerning, and underscores the need to modernize survey methods and practices. Funding: UK Medical Research Council and UK Economic and Social Research Council. Declaration of Interest: All authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethical Approval: Ethics approvals were obtained from the University of Leeds (ref:MREC16-137), University of Southampton (ref:26819), Nepal Health Research Council (ref:1761), Bangladesh Medical Research Council (ref:BMRC/NREC/RP/2016-2019/317), and Hanoi University of Public Health (ref:324/2017/YTCC-HD3).

MIGRATION DECISIONS AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN RWANDA: WHAT DOES THE PUSH-AND-PULL MODEL REVEAL?

A country economic status is strongly linked to the transition of its population from one area to another. This, because labor and other forms of migration, has a twofold advantage: (I) resourcing the targeted location by skilled labor force, and (II) improving migrant households’ livelihoods by lowering the vulnerability level. This research aimed at understanding the factors affecting migration decisions among rural households in Rwanda. Data on internal migration were collected in 5033 rural households in 2016/2017 as a part of the fifth nation-wide crosssectional survey on the Households Living Conditions, and analyzed using the binary logistic regression model. The major findings showed that internal migration was higher in Southern (31.9%) and Western (24.3%) provinces, where official reports pointed out a high level of poverty. The lower rate was observed in Kigali City (3.5%) which was actually considered as richest area and the most internal migration ‘pull factors’ (jobs and other livelihoods opportunities) offering zone. Results also revealed that, on one hand, being from a rural area, the age, having a large household size, having advanced education level, and being an female household head were the ‘push factors’ increasing by around 30% and more the probability of deciding to migrate to another region. On the other hand, owning a land and being reach decreased the likelihood of moving to other zones. This leads to affirm that employment opportunity and availability of diversified livelihoods sources in receiving regions constitute the main ‘pull factors’ of migration decisions at rural household level. In light of these findings, it is recommended to (I) ensure more balanced regional growth and opportunities for increased access to off-farm employment for a larger proportion of the rural population and (II) carry out a study on the effects of migration on the livelihoods of migrant-sending households in order to make a thorough and refined situational analysis.

Perilaku Seksual Remaja dan Pengaruh Lingkungan Sosial pada Anak-Anak Keluarga Migran dan Nonmigran

Premarital sexual behavior in adolescents is a social problem that needs attention. Premarital sexual behavior is problematic, because it is not balanced with adequate knowledge of reproductive health, so it often results in unwanted pregnancies among adolescents. The social environment is one of the factors that can be a driving factor for adolescent behavior, but on the other hand the social environment can also make behavioral changes. This article will describe adolescent sexual behavior, both for adolescents from migrant and non-migrant households in the CHAMPSEA (Child Health and Migrant Parents in South East Asia) research area in West Java and East Java. Respondents for this article are young adults with a sample of 429 adolescents from migrant and non-migrant households. The results of the study show that as many as 5.07 percent of unmarried adolescents have had premarital sexual relations, which are carried out both by adolescents from migrant and non-migrant households. Based on gender, premarital sexual behavior is more often carried out by girls than boys. While the age of first premarital sexual intercourse is mostly carried out by adolescents aged 18 years (35 percent), which is different from their perceptions of the age of marriage. Whereas based on the social environment of adolescents, there are 28.74 percent of respondents who have friends who have premarital sexual relations, have premarital sexual relations.

Intensity of labour migration and its determinants: insights from Indian semi-arid villages

The aim of this study was to examine the potential factors that determine the intensity of labour migration at household level for selected semi-arid villages in two states of India: Telangana and Maharashtra. In doing so, we use panel data for selected migrant households that were compiled from the household survey conducted by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for the period 2005–2014. We follow empirical analysis by employing state and aggregate level least squares dummy variable (LSDV) models to demonstrate how factors at each of these level can influence intensity of migration. The study finds that the main determinants of intensity of migration are family size, dependency ratio, age of the head of the household, ownership of the land and livestock owned by the household. Apart from these major factors, share of remittances in household’s total income mostly drives the migration intensity in each of the estimated regression models.

How health shocks and its relationship to repayments of loans from microfinance institutions can affect migrant households in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTIncreasing the feasibility of easy loan repayment is one of the objectives of providing microcredits for income generating activities requiring relatively small loans in the developing countries. However, evidence in the developing countries suggests that microcredits are often used by households for non-income generating expenditures needed to deal with shocks such as health shocks. Health shocks in particular have severe financial implications due to the absence of health insurance programs in the developing countries and also because they reduce income generating capabilities. The objective of this paper is to examine, using a survey data from Bangladesh, whether there is an association between the health shocks and the loan repayments performance of the borrowers of microfinance institutions. When issues involving mixed distribution of the outcome variable and endogeneity of health shocks are taken care of with IV Tobit and Two-part models, the results show that the health shocks lower both the probability and the amount of repayments. In addition, since a significant portion of the households in Bangladesh represents migrant households, this hints at important policy implications.

Temporary labour migration and underdevelopment in Sri Lanka: the limits of remittance capital

ABSTRACTSri Lanka’s long history of temporary labour migration to West Asia began amidst economic upheaval in 1977 and burgeoned during decades marred by macroeconomic volatility and ethnic conflict. Today, the remittances sent by migrant domestic workers and low-waged manual labourers in the Gulf are vital to the subsistence of poor households in marginalised communities and constitute the country’s largest source of foreign exchange earnings. Prominent policymaking frameworks purport that temporary labour migration of this kind should produce a ‘triple win’ outcome, wherein remittance transfers catalyse economic development for migrant households and their countries of origin. Yet, while labour-receiving economies unequivocally benefit from exploiting reserve armies of labour and care, the developmental impact of inbound remittance flows remains under-theorised. This article advances a critique of how remittance capital functions at household, national and global scales to demonstrate how temporary labour migration has limited Sri Lanka to a precariously uneven and remittance-dependent model of development. A profound contradiction emerges where uneven development ‘pushes’ vulnerable populations into foreign employment, only for their remittances to sustain exclusionary development spending that intensifies the need to migrate.

이주노동자의 송금이 네팔에 남겨진 가족에게 미치는 영향: Tanahun지구 Vyas지역을 사례로

This paper examines why and how labor migration from Vyas Municipality, Tanahun, Nepal has mastered changes for the left-behind as well as in their community. The information was collected via interview by using a semi-structured interview with 175 migrant households through snowball sampling method. Focus group discussion and key informant interview also conducted for the in-depth information about remittance and its relation with the social changes of left-behind family members. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were carried out to analyze the impact of remittance. The research finds that the remittance impacts positively on the social and economic conditions of individual migrants as well as their left-behind families. Improvement in the economic status of migrant households, the involvement of the household in community development activities, and participation of the household in social organizations have brought a positive change in the overall socio-economic status of the migrant households. The potential of migration to impact on other aspects of living conditions, social change and development at community levels are shaped and often limited by existing structures of power. The impact of remittances on economic and the social status of the sampled households is remarkable. The perceived status of the household in the post-migration period is better than that in the pre-migration period. For this purpose, one hundred and seventy-five households having migrant family member were selected for the household survey.

Egohoods that segregate. Immigrants, social contexts, and income penalties

AbstractThis paper looks at the causal impact of residential segregation on income among migrants in Brescia, a wealthy industrial city of about 200,000 inhabitants in North‐Eastern Italy, where almost one citizen out of five is born abroad. Using a new register‐like dataset including economic and demographic microdata from administrative sources, we geo‐localised each migrant household and created for each individual an “egohood” by imposing buffer circles with the same diameter (250 or 500 m) around his or her residential location. Within this spatial area of reference, we calculated indices of ethnic segregation and exposure to Italian natives, thus measuring the individual network of potential contacts with co‐ethnics and with Italians.Following social networks and social capital theories, we expected ethnic segregation to have a negative impact and exposure to natives to have a positive impact on income and tested our hypotheses with a set of ordinary least squares and two‐stage least squares with instrumental variables regression models. Results showed a robust and negative effect of ethnic segregation on income, whereas a small and positive effect of exposure to natives was not robust to endogeneity checks. We also found substantial heterogeneity among migrant groups defined by macroareas of origin: Exposure to Italians was found to have the expected impact only among migrants coming from Eastern Europe and from the Middle East and North Africa.

Fragmenting the Family? The Complexity of Household Migration Strategies in Post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract The disruption of family life is one of the important legacies of South Africa’s colonial and apartheid history. Families were undermined by deliberate strategies implemented through the pass laws, forced removals, urban housing policy, and the creation of homelands. Despite the removal of legal restrictions on permanent urban settlement and family co-residence for Africans, patterns of internal and oscillating labor migration have endured, dual or stretched households continue to link urban and rural nodes, children have remained less urbanized than adults, and many grow up without coresident parents. Although children are clearly affected by adult labor migration, they have tended to be ignored in the migration discourse. In this study, we add to the literature by showing how a child lens advances our understanding of the complexities of household arrangements and migration processes for families. In a mixed-methods study, we use nationally representative panel data to describe persistence, and also change, in migration patterns in South Africa when viewed from the perspective of children. We then draw on a detailed case study to explore what factors constrain or permit families to migrate together, or children to join adults at migration destination areas.

Factors Influencing Livelihood Security among the Fishing Migrant Households at Places of Origin in Thailand

This article examines the factors influencing upon livelihood security among fishing migrant households at their places of origin. The research employed a quantitative approach to the research methodology. Interview schedule was used to collect data from 385 fishing migrant household samples in the Provinces of Surin, Burirum, and Sri Saket, who had members working in the fishing industry for at least one year. Data collection was conducted during April 2018, and descriptive statistics and path analysis were implemented in the data analysis. The results found that a majority of the sampled households had a low-medium level of livelihood security (62.1 percent), while 10.7 percent of the sampled households were observed as having a low level of livelihood security. Path analysis presented factors having a direct effect including land, household assets, human capital, social capital, physical capital, natural capital, and household risks. Factors providing an indirect effect through household risk consisted of year of migration, reason for migration, frequency of remittance received, annual household income, agriculture-based income, none-agriculture income, household assets, social capital, and natural capital, with a statistical significance between the 0.01 level and the 0.05 level. The explanatory variables accounted for 59.38 percent of the variance in explaining livelihood security among the fishing migrant households (R2 = 0.5938). Research recommendations focus on livelihood diversification and the mitigating guidelines for the fishing migrant households to reduce risks of livings

Harnessing international remittances for financial development: the role of monetery policy

This study investigates how remittances and monetary policy independently and interactively shape the financial system of developing countries. It employs single equation instrumental variable based estimation procedures to test the hypothesis that, to boost financial development, remittances require a complementary domestic monetary policy framework which ensures price stability while limiting price distortions. The results show that remittances stimulate financial development only in countries with a favourable monetary environment. Building on these results and employing various indicators of financial development, the results suggest that remittances rise to cushion migrant households from the repercussions of poor financial intermediation, weak institutions and unfavourable business environment in the home country. By extension, the findings are germane to monetary and financial policy in developing countries. Keywords: Remittances, Monetary Policy, Financial Development, Developing Country, Financial Development Index

Return Intention, Subjective Social Status and Residential Choices of Rural Migrant Worker Households: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Rural migrant workers constitute special groups in China whose hukou (household registration) is still in rural areas, but they engage in non-agricultural industry in towns or cities. Based on panel data from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) in 2012 and 2014, we estimate the effects of return intention and the subjective social status on the residential choices of rural migrant worker households by using a Heckman two-stage model. The results show that return intention has a negative effect on the tenure choices of rural migrant worker households in China but a positive effect on their neighbourhood choices. Furthermore, their residential choices are affected not only by their objective social status (education, occupation, income, etc.) but also by their subjective social status. The subjective social status has a positive effect on the tenure choices of rural migrant worker households in China but a negative effect on their neighbourhood choices.

The Heterogeneous Impact of International Migration on Left‐behind Households: Evidence from Bangladesh

AbstractThis article investigates the heterogeneous effects of international migration on the expenditure of Bangladeshi migrant households. Adopting a counterfactual framework, we estimate the impact of migration on per capita expenditure of left‐behind households according to their position in the counterfactual expenditure distribution and the length of the migration period. The effects on households’ social mobility and on inequality are also assessed. The analysis indicates that migration has a positive impact on per capita expenditure and represents an important vehicle of social mobility, but may also be a source of inequality. We also find that only a tiny share of international migrants originates from households belonging to the lowest expenditure quintile and, since most of the characteristics which seem to influence the migration decision cannot be shaped by policy interventions, our results also suggest that pro‐migration policies might not be effective in lifting those most in need out of poverty.

Pengaruh Remitansi Terhadap Perbedaan Kesejahteraan Rumah Tangga di Indonesia dengan Metode Propensity Score Matching

There is a common assumption in the literature and policymakers that migrant remittances have an essential role in improving the welfare of migrant households in the regions of origin. Payments play the same position in economic development as foreign direct investment and other capital flows. This study observes international and internal remittances in Indonesia that are being made to contribute to assessing the impact of payments on household welfare. Using longitudinal data from Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) from 2000 until 2007 on wave 3 and 4, the study will observe the impact of the development of remittance income on the household accumulated asset as a measure of well-being between recipients and non-recipients. This research uses propensity score matching (PSM) method and difference-in-difference (DID) to measure the revenue impact of remittances on household assets and compare them to non-remittance households. It was found that there are significant differences between the well-being of recipients with non-recipient remittances households.

Lifestyles, residential location, and transport mode use: A hierarchical latent class choice model

This study develops a hierarchical latent class choice model that captures the concurrent influence of lifestyles on household residential neighbourhood location and individual transport mode use decisions. The model is empirically evaluated using data from the 2010–12 California Household Travel Survey. The model identifies six household-level classes that differ in terms of their preferences for different neighbourhood attributes when deciding where to live and their household characteristics. Coincidentally, the model also identifies six individual-level classes that differ in terms of the travel modes that they consider when deciding how to travel, their sensitivity to different level-of-service attributes, and their individual characteristics. Household preferences for neighbourhood types and individual preferences for travel modes show expected patterns of correlation. In general, households that prefer to live in suburban neighbourhoods are more likely to consist of individuals that are car-dependent, and households that prefer to live in inner-city neighbourhoods are more likely to consist of individuals that are multimodal. However, our analysis also reveals interesting patterns of deviation. For example, high-income migrant households and median-income white households display strong preferences for suburban neighbourhoods, but individuals belonging to these households also have a high likelihood of being multimodal, with a strong preference for bicycling. We discuss how these patterns of correlation can be used to inform transport and land use policy in novel ways.