Effects of origin contexts and migration policies on the re-emigration of Sub-Saharan African migrants living in Belgium

Josue JBM Begu Mbolipay, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) - Centre for demographic research
Marie-Laurence Flahaux, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Bruno D. Schoumaker, UCLouvain

Research on re-emigration underscores that migratory paths and decisions to emigrate depend on the personal characteristics of migrants, as well as the socioeconomic and political contexts of both destination and origin countries (de Haas, 2011, de Haas et al., 2019). These contexts serve as a framework for understanding migratory decisions. Recognizing that a country's context is dynamic, this study investigates the impact of changes in Sub-Saharan African countries' socio-economic and political context and migration policies in Belgium on re-emigration. The primary data sources are from the World Bank, providing information on the Human Development Index and political stability in origin countries (Kaufmann et al., 2011). Additionally, data from DEMIG on migration policies in Belgium are integrated with individual data from the national registry to control for effects based on personal characteristics (Bocquier et al., 2019). Overall findings suggest that improvements in economic and political conditions in countries of origin have a positive influence on return migration. Voluntary or forced repatriation policies positively impact re-emigration, irrespective of the destination, whereas integration policies are associated with subsequent migrations. The less favorable these policies, the lower the level of migrant integration, and the higher the probability of emigrating to find better opportunities elsewhere.

Keywords: International Migration, Population Policies, Data and Methods, Migrant Populations and Refugees

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