Economic determinants of international migration types which are sensitive and insensitive to immigration policies

Roel Jennissen, Dutch Ministry of Justice (WODC)

This paper aims to create a new viewpoint on the economic determinants of migration distinguishing migration types which are sensitive and insensitive for immigration policies. GDP per capita differences and unemployment differences have appeared to be the most important economic determinants of international migration types which are insensitive to immigration policies. On the other hand, the equilibrium recovering function of international migration, which removes, according to neo-classical and Keynesian economic thinking, differences in real wages and unemployment levels respectively, does not exist for migration types which are sensitive to immigration policies. The author argues that unemployment in the receiving country is the most important determinant of international migration flows which are sensitive to immigration policies as, in his opinion, pull factors (especially the labour market situation in receiving countries) still dominate the volume and direction of international migration flows from poorer to richer areas of the world.