Egyptian Migration Research Articles

Statistical Analysis of Internal Migration in Egypt Using Markov Chains.

Statistical Analysis of Internal Migration in Egypt Using Markov Chains.

Is internal migration a way to cope with weather extremes? Evidence from Egypt

PurposeIn this study, the authors examine the push and pull effects of extreme weather events on migration among governorates in Egypt.Design/methodology/approachTo estimate the effect of extreme weather events on internal migration, the authors use migration gravity models and data from the 1996 and 2006 Population and Housing Censuses. The authors measure weather extremes by the number of months in the past 36 months with temperatures or precipitation of a governorate below the 5th percentile and above the 95th percentile of the distribution of monthly temperatures or precipitation of the corresponding governorate during the period 1900–2006.FindingsThis study’s results suggest that high temperatures in the origin area act as a push factor. High-temperature extremes have a positive effect on out-migration. A 1% increase in the number of months with high-temperature extremes in the original governorate results in a 0.1% increase in the number of out-migrants.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that people may respond to weather extremes through migration. However, climate migrants in Egypt may encounter several significant risks that authorities must address.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first attempts to measure the push and pull effect of weather extremes on migration in Egypt.

From Restricted to Permissive: Egypt Migration Policy Since 1952

Over the last decade, Egypt has gained strategic significance in migration with the start of the Arab Spring. The situation in the region has led to a tripling in the number of refugees and asylum seekers registered in Egypt. Migration policy making in Egypt has focused on the emigration of workers and diaspora engagement. Egypt has increasingly become a country of destination and transit which necessitates a fundamental shift in Egyptian migration policies. This paper examines Egypt's migration policy development over time, along with the main strategic goals and potential policy partnerships. Accordingly, the article explains how the successive Governments of Egypt have modeled the country's migration policies to pursue other policy goals.

Being Borrowed: On Egyptian Migration to the Gulf

Being Borrowed: On Egyptian Migration to the Gulf

Who moves and who gains from internal migration in Egypt? Evidence from two waves of a labor market panel survey

In recent decades, Egypt has experienced rapid internal migration movements triggered by urbanization, socioeconomic development, and environmental changes. From a literature perspective, few scholarly studies have empirically examined the drivers and welfare impacts of internal migration in Egypt, despite the increasing recognition of its inextricably links to urban sustainability. The present study utilized data from two waves of an Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) conducted in 2012 and 2018 and consisting of 63,909 observations to examine factors that determine internal migration decisions and their subsequent welfare effects. The results of the two-stage Heckman selection model indicate that both the determinants of internal migration decisions and welfare outcomes differ appreciably depending on migration stream as well as the socioeconomic characteristics of the migrants. In particular, females were found to be more likely to migrate from rural to urban areas, lending support to the growing literature on the “feminization of migration” in developing countries. The OLS regression results, after correcting for self-selection, make a strong case for the positive welfare gains from internal migration in Egypt. Specially, we found that the welfare gains for older and female migrants are much higher than other age and gender groups. A comparison of the welfare effects between different migration streams shows that all migratory movements were associated with positive and statistically significant welfare gains, except for rural-to-urban migration that was surprisingly found to be associated with significant welfare loss for the migrants. Urban-to-urban migration was found to have the strongest welfare enhancing effects on all migrant groups. The empirical findings underline a number of research and policy implications for a sustainable management of internal migration in Egypt and other countries with similar internal migration trends.

On occasion of the pandemic: Reflections on Egyptian labour migration.

In the article, the author reflects on labour migration in Egypt amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Also cited are how migration eases pressures on the country's domestic labour market and supports the economy through financial remittances, the loan agreement between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the expected decline in remittances due to the pandemic

Study on the Spatial Pattern of Migration Population in Egypt and Its Flow Field Characteristics from the Perspective of “Source-Flow-Sink”

Based on the provinces as the spatial nodes of population migration, a “Source-Flow-Sink” analysis framework of population migration flow in Egypt was established by “Source-Sink” Theory and Flow Field Theory to study the migration population in Egypt. It reveals the spatial pattern of the migration population in Egypt and its flow field characteristics and provides theoretical basis for the formulation of population development policies and regional spatial governance planning. The results show that: (1) there are significant spatial differences in the size and rate of migration in Egypt. In 2017, the migration population in Egypt exceeded 2.2 million in total, with a migration rate of 2.33%, and the extreme multiple reached 80 and 12. (2) According to the spatial pattern of geographical distribution, the Source System is divided into five types: axis type, layer type, fan type, oblique symmetry type, and scattered jump type. There are only three types in Sink System, namely wide area coverage type, local development type, and scattered jump type. Source Places lie in the middle, Sink Places are symmetrical from east to west, and Exchange Places are concentrated along the Mediterranean coast in the north of Cairo on the whole, with the initial formation of a “core-periphery” spatial pattern. (3) The interprovincial population migration flow in Egypt is dominated by neighborhood penetration and polarization of high-rank nodes (capitals or regional economic centers), giving rise to 7 modes of central system spatial structures and 3 modes of pole-core interaction. The central system of flow fields with clear priorities and the streamline channel network with layered trunks and branches basically take shape, overall characterized by stepped runoff from east to west, and local convection from south to north.

Wealth inequality and inter-governorate migration: Evidence from Egypt

Migration is one of the key livelihood strategies for households, especially those in low-income and middle-income regions. In this study, we investigate whether the economic level and inequality of wealth can affect inter-governorate migration in Egypt. Using gravity models and data from Population and Housing Censuses of Egypt, we are able to measure the push as well as pull effects of economic and wealth inequality levels on internal migration flows. Although there are a large number of studies on the effect of economic levels on migration, there is little if anything known about the effect of wealth inequality between the origin and destination areas on migration. We measure wealth levels using the household asset index. We find that people tend to move to governorates with high wealth levels as well as high wealth inequality. There is a positive association between wealth inequality and economic growth in Egypt. Governorates with high wealth inequality tend to experience high economic growth and therefore attract more migrants. This study’s findings also suggest that unlike non-work migration, the low wealth level in origin governorates is a push factor for work migration.

Obstacles the Partnership Between Governmental and Civil Organizations Face When Tackling Illegal Migration in Egypt

This study is an analytical descriptive study to identify obstacles the partnership between governmental and civil organizations face in tackling illegal migration in Egypt. The study used the social survey methodology for a group of governmental officials and non-governmental officials responsible for illegal migration reached a sample of (45). The study used a questionnaire tool to determine the obstacles faced by governmental and civil organizations. The results of the study identified the existence of obstacles associated with the policies of tackling illegal migration, as well as weak legal protection programs for the victims of illegal migration, and the lack -of real roles for civil institutions in the development of special laws to confront illegal migration

Does International Migration Affect Labor Supply, Non‐farm Diversification and Welfare of Households? Evidence from Egypt

AbstractThis study examines the effect of international migration in Egypt using fixed‐effect regressions and panel data from Egypt Labour Market Panel Surveys in 2006 and 2012. We find that men and people with higher education are more likely to migrate than women and people with lower education. Middle‐aged people are also more likely to migrate than young or old people. International migration does not seem to affect the overall employment of remaining members of migrant‐sending households. However, it tends to increase the self‐employed work of members of migrant‐sending households. Finally, international migration also helps migrant‐sending households increase their wealth index. Remittances are used to improve living conditions (housing) and purchase more assets and durables. This finding supports the theory as well as the policy to increase migration as a way to stabilize consumption and reduce poverty in low income countries.

Education Mismatch and Return Migration in Egypt and Tunisia

The objective of this paper is to shed light on the issue of education mismatch in the context of return migration in Egypt and Tunisia. Using data on both return and non-migrants in Egypt and Tunisia, we analyze the skills that migrants acquire before and during migration and the way these skills are used upon return. We find evidence of education mismatch, especially in Tunisia. Finally, we estimate the determinants of education mismatch on the Egyptian and Tunisian labour markets and find a significant positive effect of return migration on the probability of being overeducated.

Labour Migration Governance in Times of Political Transition: A Comparative Analyisis of Egypt and Tunisia

The 2011 uprisings that culminated into the Arab Awakening were expected to engender seminal changes in the political systems of Egypt and Tunisia. Renewed calls to protect Egyptian and Tunisian migrants abroad were at first launched in the two countries. This paper examines patterns of continuity and change affecting policies and institutions of labour migration in Egypt and Tunisia. After outlining key institutions with mandate over labour migration, including a brief analysis of the two countries’ labour markets, the paper assesses policies that promote employment abroad and protections for migrants. Egypt has made few changes in labour migration policies or institutions. Tunisia went further but without undertaking radical changes in its policies and institutions.

Nasser’s Educators and Agitators across al-Watan al-‘Arabi: Tracing the Foreign Policy Importance of Egyptian Regional Migration, 1952-1967

The Egyptian state’s policy of dispatching trained Egyptian professionals, primarily educational staff, across the Arab world rarely features in analyses of Egypt’s foreign policy under Gamal Abdel Nasser. This article relies primarily on newly declassified material from the British Foreign Office archives, unpublished reports from the Egyptian Ministry of Education, and an analysis of related articles in three main Egyptian newspapers (al-Ahram, al-Akhbar, al-Jumhuriya) in order to provide a detailed reconstruction of regional migration’s importance for Egyptian foreign policy. It debunks the conventional wisdom that Egyptian migration became a socio-political issue only in the post-1973 era, arguing that the Nasserite regime developed a governmental policy that allowed, and encouraged, Egyptians’ political activism in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf according to state foreign policy priorities in the 1952-1967 period. By presenting a cache of archival material in analytical and critical context, this article offers concrete evidence of how migration buttressed Egypt’s regional ambitions under Gamal Abdel Nasser.

“Marriage with an absentee:” Marital practices in an era of great mobility

Egyptian communities are increasing in Europe, and Italy is the first European country targeted by a number of Egyptians. While other Arab countries (i.e. Morocco) are experiencing a progressive “feminization of migration”, Egyptian migration remains a male-dominated phenomenon. One of the main issues around the big presence of young Egyptian single men in Italy is that of transnational marriages, which migrants engage in with women from their original villages. In this paper I focus on the families that are created through what I call “marriage with an absentee”, investigating the value of transnational marriages both for migrants and for Egyptian women who marry men who are working abroad. I describe those marriages in their organizational aspects—entering into the details of the rituals of the engagement and of the marriage. I also discuss some of the consequences of this practice. I.e., on one hand the creation of a transnational family (characterized by the new bride staying in Egypt), and on the oth...

The Arab Spring: A Revolution for Egyptian Emigration?

This paper examines the impacts of the Arab revolutions on Egyptian emigration, attending to the diverse temporalities of political life in the country and the region between 2011 and 2015. New flows, new reasons for migration (instability, insecurity), and new transnational practices (overseas voting) have arisen. During the postrevolutionary period, transnational practices gained momentum, a diaspora began to emerge (though this process was soon cut short), and Egyptian communities abroad became more visible. Transnational connections between Egyptians as well as migrants’ or their descendants’ links with Egypt were strengthened. Emigration doesn’t mean an exit which makes all sense of loyalty disappear: the moral obligation to participate in their country’s development fuelled the return of many migrants in the early days of the revolution. Nevertheless, the field of Egyptian migration has not been completely reconfigured by the Arab revolutions.

Egyptian irregular migration to Europe

In this paper, I explore characteristics of Egyptian who migrate irregularly to Europe and reasons of irregular migration from the point of departure through a field survey in some Egyptian villages known of sending irregular – as well as regular - migrants to Europe (mainly Italy and France). The survey gathered information about the level of awareness of potential migrants about irregular migration and migrants smuggling from Egypt. The results indicate that the vast majority of youth who want to migrate to Europe as well as current migrants intend to return to Egypt after a temporary stay in the countries of destination. These findings suggest that the Egyptian migration to Europe is a re-production of the pattern of Egyptian migration to the Arab Gulf countries, where young males migrate to achieve specific financial goals and then they return.

Transnational Politics, Women & the Egyptian Revolution: Examples from Paris

The revolutionary process in Egypt since 2011 has not only mobilized masses in Egypt, but has also led to a massive politicization and polarization of Egyptian communities abroad. Women from different generations became active in the protests claiming their agency to participate in changing their country. Cyberactivism became a particularly important vehicle for women to participate politically in the revolutionary process. This paper looks at transnational political networks in Paris working to influence politics in Egypt in the (post)-revolutionary phase between 2011 and 2013 with a special focus on women. An analysis of 30 informative-narrative interviews and several popular Facebook pages of diaspora networks reveals how women participated alongside men in transnational mobilizations in Paris, and how they experienced and lived these moments as they took part in their struggle. Several factors shape the political participation of women in this diasporic context, the gendered character of Egyptian migration to France itself, an inner fragmentation and politicization among women and finally, women's broader understanding of politics blurring the traditional boundary of public and private. Contrary to assimilation theory, most participating women are not marginalized or poorly educated immigrants, but are on the contrary well educated and socially well connected.

Egypt's International Migration after the Revolution: Is There Any Change?

This study aims at exploring the situation of Egyptian migration after two years of the Egyptian Revolution of January 25th 2011. The study starts with exploring the situation of Egyptian migration before the revolution, right after the revolution, and the current situation two years after the revolution. Right after the revolution, Egypt received a massive number of Egyptian returnees from Libya. Currently, and due to sectarian strife, Egypt witnesses an increasing desire for migration among Christian Egyptians to traditional destination in Europe and North America. Between the return of Egyptians from Libya and the increasing desire for migration Egypt witnesses a turbulent political and economic transitional phase that may affect migration from and to Egypt.

Migration and family change in Egypt: a comparative approach to social remittances

Based on two ethnographical studies, our article explores social remittances from France and from the Gulf States, i.e. the way Egyptian migrants and returnees contribute to social change in their homeland with a focus on gender ideals and practices, as well as on the ways families cope with departure, absence and return. Policies in the home and host countries, public discourse, translocal networks, and individual locations within evolving structures of power, set the frame for an analysis of the consequences of migration in Egypt. This combination of structural factors is necessary to grasp the complex negotiations of family and gender norms, as asserted through idealized models, or enacted in daily practices in immigration and back home.

Egyptian e-diaspora: Migrant websites without a network?

The definition of Egyptian migration as a diaspora has been much debated and often denied. This article investigates the phenomenon of the Egyptian diaspora through an innovative approach based on an analysis of the digital activity and the presence of Egyptian connected migrants. Following the methodology of the e-Diaspora project, we found a weakly connected network of websites, with many isolated nodes, little clusterization and no authorities or hubs. The fact that the traditional approach of the e-diaspora yielded few results prompted us to follow a new research strategy combining data from Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Because of a particularly fortuitous coincidence with the Egyptian revolt, we could investigate the mobilization of Egyptian migrants in pursuit of their voting rights on the micro-blogging platform Twitter. Through Twitter data, we identified links that were not visible through traditional Web-mapping techniques, and we could observe the emergence of a transnational Egyptian community debating and fighting for a common cause.