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Copyright of Marmara University Journal of Political Science / Marmara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Marmara University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The discussion on international migration has become a significant part of globalization and a topical issue in international relations, especially in developing economies which mostly relies on migrant remittances. The purpose of the study is to examine whether financial market development (equity market development and banking sector development) really drives migrant remittance flow in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design/methodology/approach: The study employs the dynamic heterogeneous panel data approach-the pool mean group (PMG) and the mean group (MG) techniques in analyzing the model based on data obtained from 27 SSA countries covering the period 2000–2020. Findings: The findings of the study revealed that financial market development (equity market development and banking sector development) is a key driver of migrant remittances flows in the SSA region. In addition, the study revealed that the following macroeconomic variables such as real interest rate, unemployment rate, global growth, emigration, and economic growth are also determinants of migrant remittances flows in the SSA region. Originality/value: The reviewed empirical literature revealed that several studies documents that the macroeconomic determinants of migrant remittances include inflation, GDP, interest rate, exchange rate, population growth, financial sector development and unemployment rate. Most of these studies fail to capture both equity market development and robust banking sector development (financial market development) as critical drivers of migrant remittances flow in SSA. Also, this study uses a robust measure of equity market development and banking sector development, unlike previous studies. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0361 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of the nexus between remittances and ecological footprints on environmental sustainability in Africa for 19 African countries between 1990 and 2021. Both the Augmented Mean Group and Common-Correlation Effect Mean Group estimator, show that remittances and economic growth have a positive effect on ecological footprint. More so, there exists bidirectional causality between remittances, economic growth, and ecological footprint while unidirectional causality runs from ecological footprints to foreign direct investment and foreign direct investment to economic growth. To promote environmental sustainability, individual governments, and regional blocs, must ensure the trade-off and prioritization of net-zero emissions goals in Africa to move beyond mere policy documentation and into non-fossil fuel revenue-dependent and strict market regulation on remittances to promote green consumptions and sustainable livelihoods in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies can be a critical channel in boosting economic growth and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. During crises like COVID-19, digitalization can facilitate the reception of remittances from relatives and friends. We analyze the effects of migrant remittances (MRs) on economic growth in ECOWAS countries with a special emphasis on the role of digitalization. The simultaneous equations and the seemingly unrelated regression method are used with data spanning from 1980 to 2017. Findings show that digitization is not a channel for transmitting the effects of MRs on economic growth in ECOWAS countries. However, digitalization constitutes a catalyst of the effects of MRs on economic growth in non-WAEMU countries, while it does not in WAEMU (a sub-regional block of ECOWAS). Nevertheless, remittances contribute to human capital accumulation, investment, and consumption in WAEMU countries. Policies aiming at strengthening digitization are welcome to foster the effect of MRs on countries' economies in ECOWAS, in general, and WAEMU in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the moderating influence of home-country ethnic diversity in the relationship between migrant remittances and new business creation in developing countries. By employing the theories of transaction cost, social network, social identity, and trust, we argue that ethnic diversity is negatively associated with new business creation; nevertheless, it strengthens the positive association between migrant remittances and new business creation in developing countries. We test our hypotheses on 64 developing countries over an 11-year period (2006–2016). This paper contributes to entrepreneurship literature by emphasizing the importance of home-country ethnic diversity in channeling migrants' remittances to new business creation in developing countries. Plain English Summary Ethnic diversity leads to a stronger positive link between remittances and new business creation in developing countries. We show that higher remittance-receiving countries create a higher number of new firms on average. Furthermore, this positive relationship is stronger in countries with ethnically diverse societies. Our results underline the importance of the ethnic structure of the country for entrepreneurship and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to first determine the effect of remittances from international migrants on the labor supply in Cameroon. On the other hand, we analyze the effect of receiving these funds on the labor supply of members of beneficiary households according to gender and standard of living. We apply the IV-2SLS method on data from the fourth Cameroonian Household Survey carried out in 2014 (ECAM 4), through the consumer choice model of Becker (1965) adapted to the family economy. From this analysis, it follows that in general, there is a negative effect of remittances from international migrants on the labor supply in Cameroon. The funds received lead to a decrease in labor hours for women while a slight increase is observed for men. Looking at household living standards, the results show that the reduction in working hours is localized only in poor and middle households, while no influence is observed in very poor, rich and very rich households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant remittances are important to some countries. According to the World Bank, they comprise more than 30% of the GDP of Kyrgyzstan, Tonga, Tajikistan, Haiti and Nepal. Compared to official development aid or foreign direct investment, remittances have lately become a prime income stream for less-developed nations. In this paper, we analyze the net spillover and feedback effects from the consumer demand generated in migrants' home countries. We use World Bank estimates of remittances and the World Input-Output Database (WIOD) for the investigation with so-called 'hypothetical insertion' as the tool of choice. We find that even some developed nations, like the US, likely benefit from remittances (the largest global path for remittances is that from the US to Mexico), but that not all do (e.g. Canada does not). We stop short of making strong policy recommendations. Instead, we suggest that more attention is paid to the veracity of remittance estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the causal and dynamic link between financial inclusion and migrant remittances in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a panel vector autoregressive (VAR) framework to examine the dynamic relationship between financial inclusion and migrant remittances in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings: The findings indicate that there is a reverse causality between financial inclusion and migrant remittances in sub-Saharan Africa. Practical implications: The practical implications of these findings are that central governments and economic policymakers in sub-Saharan African countries should formulate and implement policies aimed at fostering financial inclusion if they are to attract more migrant remittances to promote economic growth and financial sector development. This suggests that these two variables are complementary and not contradictory. The results also suggest that central banks and other financial institutions can leverage the positive effect of financial inclusion of financial sector development to enhance the development of the financial sector instead of pursuing financial sector development as a policy objective. This means policies aimed at promoting financial inclusion will not impede or sacrifice migrant remittances, economic growth and financial sector development. Originality/value: This paper is the first to construct a financial inclusion index to examine the link between financial inclusion and migrant remittances from the sub-Saharan Africa perspective Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2019-0612/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether the motives behind sending remittances differ for the migrants from single- and multi-migrant families in India. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses the second round of India Human Development Survey conducted in the year 2012 to analyse migrant's motives using the two-part model and the sample selection model (SSM). Here, the probit model is used to model whether the migrant sends the remittances and then the amount of remittances is modelled using the ordinary least squares method. The SSM assumes that these two decisions are interdependent. This migrant-level study is the first to segregate single- and multiple-migrant settings and compare them for the existence of altruism or inheritance motives. Findings: The findings indicate altruism as the main motive behind remittances for the single migrants in India. On the other hand, presence of inheritance motive is evident along with altruism in the multi-migrant setting. Research limitations/implications: The analysis is restricted due to limited availability of information on migrant as the data are collected from the migrant's family at origin. Originality/value: This is the first study to use a unique nationally representative survey which enables it to point out differences in the motives behind remittances for the single-migrant and multi-migrant settings in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do information flows matter for remittance behavior? We design and implement a randomized control trial to quantitatively assess the role of communication between migrants and their international network on the extent and value of remittance flows. In the experiment, a random sample of 1,500 migrants residing in Ireland was offered the possibility of contacting their networks outside the host country for free over a varying number of months. We find a sizeable positive impact of our intervention on the value of migrant remittances sent. Larger remittance responses are associated with individuals who are employed and earn higher incomes. This evidence is consistent with the idea that the observed increase in remittances is not a consequence of relaxed budget constraints due to subsidized communication costs but rather a likely result of improved information, perhaps due to better migrant control over remittance use, enhanced trust in remittance channels due to experience sharing, or increased remittance recipients' social pressure on migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of migrants' remittances in developing countries' fertility transition. Employing an unbalanced panel of South Asian countries and controlling for various economic and socio-demographic factors, we find that remittances are significantly associated with a lower number of children born to women of childbearing age. This suggests the remittances' substitution effect to be at play rather than the income effect, and may result from decreased need for children for financing the household's future needs as well as from better access to healthcare and contraceptive methods available to migrant households. Remittances' association with fertility appears to be more important than the transfer of fertility norms from migrants' host countries. The monetary aspects of international migration may therefore be more important for the region's demographic transition than social remittances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the impact of migrant remittances on receiving households assume that these households act as a unit in receiving remittances and making decisions about their use. Thus, many of these studies use the gender of the household head as a key control variable. This study questions this assumption, using original qualitative and quantitative data on rural-urban migration of women in Ghana to show that gendered social norms of household provisioning influence the intrahousehold flow of remittances. Regression results indicate that migrant women are more likely to send remittances to other women, creating female-centered networks of remittance flows even within male-headed households. The implications of this for intrahousehold resource allocation are explored through an analysis of the impact of the gender of the remitter and recipient on education expenditure. The results show that regardless of the gender of the household head, households in which women are the primary recipient of remittances spend more than twice as much on education as households in which men are the primary recipient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Migration & Ethnic Themes: MET / Migracijske i Etničke Teme is the property of Institut za istrazivanje migracija / Institute for Migration Research (IMIN) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although current researches aim to reveal the migration potential and practice of emigration of Hungarian health professionals, little attention is paid on measurable and descriptive data of their migrant remittance practices. The aim of this study is to present the relating patterns of remittance flows, demonstrating the usage and outcomes of migrant transfers, and investments through the relating literature, drawing especially on Tharmalingham's typology. I conducted a qualitative inquiry by half-structured interviews with Hungarian physicians and nurses employed in Norway in order to analyze their migrant remittance practices according to their social status, network, and motivations. Based on the data, I conclude that migrant remittances have greater impact on social, and economic mobility of the beneficiary family of lower-middle class health professionals, as the narratives showed that they are willing to remit much more than migrants from higher social class. Family-oriented, individual remittances are the most common sorts that are frequently invested in services besides materialized use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, influxes of remittances from overseas workers, mostly sent to families back home, have begun to attract policy and scholarly attention for their potential development impacts. This article seeks to answer the question: What is the development impact of these remittances for the households that receive them with reference to field data from remittance-receiving households in the Philippines. Recognising that different 'development logics' inform different understandings of development, this article analyses field data on migrant remittances with reference to three common sets of development logics: economic development, social development and sustainable livelihoods. It then dialogues and extends these findings with qualitative data on the way remittance-receiving households themselves understand the role of migrant remittances. An anthropological approach brings these different logics into dialogue, illustrating the complexity of households' quest for economic, social and livelihood outcomes, and the need to understand the contexts that influence their ability to meet their development goals at home and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the interest and research on migrant remittances in the past have been concerned with the monetary value of such transactions and their macro-economic implications for the sending countries. It was only in recent years that research has focused on the social impact that remittances have for migrant workers and their families and communities of origin. We discuss some of the conceptual and methodological issues that such research poses in Asia, where a policy of temporary labour migration is widely practised by host governments. We call for greater attention to be paid to the sending, receipt, control and use of remittances as integral to the social process of remittance transfers. We recommend the adoption of existing social research methods such as multi-site and mixed-method designs, both-ways surveys and longitudinal work. We also stress the need to view remittance transfer as a gendered process. The reconfiguration of such research, we argue, will give rise to a sociology of migrant remittances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Research on which this paper is based was sponsored by a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant for a study of ‘Terrorist Finance and the Nexus with Transnational Organized Crime’ (grant no. 2003‐DT‐CX‐0001), a grant by the NIJ to look into informal value transfer systems (IVTS) (grant number 2002‐IJ‐CX‐0001), as well as studies sponsored by the World Bank and the Dutch Ministry of Justice’s Research and Documentation Centre (WODC).This paper sheds light on the routine practices and mechanics of hawala, an informal funds transfer system, which emerged in the Indian subcontinent and spread globally in recent decades. Hawala has come under suspicion of being a tool in the hands of al Qaeda and other terrorists, so a series of measures and policies have been taken internationally for its regulation and control. The paper dispels several myths about hawala, such as the lack of money movement or the absence of paper‐work and trails for investigators. By focusing on the Pakistan hawala modus operandi, it also explains the routes money follows before it reaches the final destination mostly in the hands of expatriates' extended families. By showing how these mechanics make economic sense, the paper makes a contribution to more sensitive, informed, fair and consensual law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Population is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)