Can the ‘weight of evidence’ on impacts shape the future of international migration?

In recent years there has been a growing effort to systematically measure the socio-economic integration of immigrants and the wide range of impacts of migration on host countries, communities and work forces. This lecture presents a selection of findings from Europe and traditional immigration countries such as New Zealand. While there are cross-country differences in impacts due to differences the composition of immigration flows and institutions, migration has generally yielded economic benefits in terms of labour market outcomes, the fiscal position, innovation, trade and growth. However, concerns about a limited ‘absorptive capacity’ of host societies are growing, particularly in Europe. Moreover, cross-border mobility has become much more complex and diverse than in the past. The lecture will suggest how the weight of the scientific evidence can assist policymakers to be responsive to these challenges.

Chair: Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Professor of Economic Geography, LSE

Respondent: Professor Jonathan Wadsworth, Royal Holloway, University of London