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How have Central Asian publics reacted to Russia’s war against Ukraine? This study assesses overall attitudes toward the war in Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic using survey data from the early days of the war. We find that respondents in Kyrgyzstan are more likely to hold pro-Russian attitudes regarding the war than their counterparts in Kazakhstan. We then examine the relationship between political attitudes and correlates commonly linked to geopolitical preferences generally and pro-Russian attitudes specifically: ethnolinguistic identity, remittances, and media use. Results suggest that ethnic identity holds the strongest and most consistent link to wartime sentiments, with ethnic Kyrgyz and Kazakhs showing less pro-Russian attitudes compared to ethnic Russians. Further results indicate that language and media use are somewhat associated with pro-Russian wartime attitudes, though this relationship varies by context and issue area. Finally, we find limited support for the argument that receiving remittances is associated with political preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study investigates the complex relationship between economic growth, remittances (REM), export earnings (EEs), infrastructural development (IFD), and environmental sustainability (ES) in Bangladesh over the period from 1990 to 2020. Framed within the context of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, the research explores how these factors influence environmental outcomes and contributes to ongoing discussions on sustainable development. Methods: Utilizing advanced time-series modeling techniques, including autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear ARDL (NARDL), this study applies unit root tests and co-integration analysis to examine the data. These methods allow for a detailed assessment of both short- and long-term relationships between the variables in question. Results: The findings confirm the EKC hypothesis, showing that economic growth initially leads to increased carbon emissions and environmental degradation, but further development contributes to environmental improvements. Remittances, however, significantly exacerbate carbon emissions and ecological degradation. On the other hand, technological innovation (TI) demonstrates a negative association with carbon emissions and ecological footprint (EF), highlighting its potential in supporting sustainable development. The impacts of export earnings and infrastructural development on environmental sustainability are mixed, with infrastructural growth in particular linked to environmental degradation. Discussion: The study's results underscore the importance of targeted policy interventions to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. Policymakers should focus on mitigating the environmental impacts of remittance inflows and fostering technological innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While export earnings and infrastructural development play critical roles in economic progress, their environmental implications require careful management to ensure long-term sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the intricate nexus between remittances, migration, and the labour force. It aims to enlighten the interplay of migration and remittances, analyzed in isolation, and their collective impact on the labour market across varying demographical strata. This analysis assumes particular pertinence for Kosovo, characterized by a notable intensity of migration fluxes and remittances. This study uses biprobit techniques to alleviate the endogeneity inherent in remittance and migration to evaluate the correlation between those and the labour force. The empirical data from the Millennium Century Corporation's survey was conducted in Kosovo in 2017. According to the findings, remittances and migration have a significant role in shaping the dynamics of the labour force, affecting inequalities across gender, age, and educational attainment. We surfaced compelling evidence of the disincentivizing ramifications of remittances vis-à-vis the labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many emerging countries rely on incoming remittances to finance their economic growth, as remittance inflow has a variety of positive knock‐on effects. This study looks at the "remittance‐growth nexus" among the top 20 nations that earn remittances, considering regulatory quality, trade openness, energy consumption, and financial development as controlling variables. It makes use of panel data covering the years 1996–2021, the "Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG)" and "Augmented Mean Group" estimation techniques, and the "Dumitrescu‐Hurlin (D‐H)" causality assessment. The primary estimation findings demonstrate a unique outcome that incoming remittance hurts economic growth (EG). However, EG benefits from trade openness, energy use, financial expansion, and regulatory quality, which have a beneficial impact on EG. The D‐H causality assessment results support the primary estimation findings and also reveal that despite both regulatory quality's and financial expansion's influence on EG, they don't cause remittances, rather remittance inflow causes them. The findings have significant policy ramifications for inbound remittance to be routed to saving and investment, guaranteeing reliable energy availability, enhancing trade openness, a prudential banking system, and improving regulatory quality to affect EG positively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the internal factors that influence the adoption of cryptocurrencies for remittance transactions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by examining the relationships between behavioural intention (BI) and perceived risk (PR), as well as the mediating effect of consumer innovation (CI). Design/methodology/approach: The authors developed a structural model using scales from the literature. The authors distributed an online questionnaire, evaluated by five cryptocurrency experts, using a snowball approach and collected 270 responses. Findings: The results revealed that CI mediates the relationship between PR and BI. Also, CI enhances intentions to use cryptocurrencies for remittance transactions. However, PR has a negative impact on BI. Research limitations/implications: This research adds to the body of knowledge by examining the acceptance and implementation of cryptocurrencies in the UAE and by developing and evaluating new constructs based on current notions. The study also contributes to the current understanding of cryptocurrencies and blockchain adoption. This article focusses on the mediating impact of CI on intentions to employ cryptocurrency instruments for international money transfers. Practical implications: The conclusions of the research give advice for marketers on how to boost the commercialisation of cryptocurrencies in the UAE remittance market and may pave the way for other studies to assist impending developments in the UAE cryptocurrency industry. Originality/value: This research offers novel insights into CI as a significant predictor of bitcoin product uptake in the remittance business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), trade openness, and remittances received on the novel misery index, a measure of macroeconomic dynamics, while considering heterogeneity in misery levels. It analyzed data from 1995 to 2022 across six economically uncomfortable East African Community (EAC) countries. Given the non-normal distribution of the data, a panel quantile regression model was employed to address both distributional and unobserved individual heterogeneity. The empirical findings indicated the weak negative effects of FDI in the lower misery index countries and stronger negative effects in the upper misery index countries. Trade openness shows stronger negative and statistically significant effects in lower misery countries, while its effects are negative but not significant in higher misery countries. Additionally, remittance inflows have a more pronounced positive impact in lower misery countries but show lesser positive effects in countries with higher misery levels. The results are robust even after accounting for additional controls, exclusion of regressors, outliers, and endogeneity issues, suggesting that foreign funds can enhance economic stability for those in misery. The study recommends promoting clean FDI in lower-meminous countries, beneficial trade agreements, and encouraging diaspora communities to advocate for productive remittances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have used neoliberalism as an analytical framework to examine the Philippines' labour export policy. While neoliberalism entails a retreat of the state in favour of market reforms, evidence shows that state intervention of the market becomes larger and stronger over time. This paper utilises liberal neo‐statism as an alternative framework to understand the Philippines' nurse labour export by explaining that the state's role is larger than and goes beyond labour brokerage. Following the historical institutionalism approach, we show the significant timing, sequence, and path dependence that affect the emergence of institutions that govern the Philippines' nurse labour export. Our paper reveals how specific policies and regulations in labour export are tucked within the disguise of market reforms, but which are manifest within a larger state's control. These policies serve as the state's apparatus for remittance generation and protection of migrant labour rights and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies examine the remittances sent by migrants to their home countries, little is known about the financial resources that flow from home countries to migrants abroad, also known as reverse remittances. Following an in-depth analysis of the limited existing literature, our study focuses on the practice of financial reverse remittances among migrants living in the Italian region of Lombardy to assess their incidence, their relationship with the migrants’ migration stage, and the occurrence of economic hardship. We build on a quantitative survey of 4,000 migrants carried out in 2014. Our research shows that overseas students, long-term migrants living with a partner, and, in general, migrants facing economic hardship and job insecurity are more likely to receive financial reverse remittances. The implications of our findings in light of the 2007–2008 global financial crisis in Italy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of wealth loss induced by over-quota birth fines on household economic well-being in China. We find that household labour supply adjusts to fertility fines primarily via the extensive margin of maternal labour supply, which is followed by higher savings rates and more remittances sent home. Fertility fines have no effects on non-food consumption; however, they significantly decrease food consumption. We propose two instrumental variables and placebo tests as identification strategies, all of which yield consistent results. Our study deepens the understanding of how households respond to over-quota birth fines and sheds light on responses to negative wealth shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international reserves reflect the economy's strength by honoring its financial liabilities. Hence, this paper analyzed the effect of remittances and financial development on international reserves in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) economies from 1960 to 2022. By employing econometric analysis, the paper reveals a significant and positive influence of remittances and financial development on international reserves. In addition, we reveal a positive and significant association between remittances and financial development and international reserves in the long run. Further, a short-run relationship exists between financial development and international reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the receipt of remittances affect the likelihood of engaging in civic and political activities in the Middle East and North Africa? Research in Latin America and Africa has found two contradictory effects. Remittances can increase recipients' capacity for political participation by providing them with greater economic resources. But remittances may also reduce the incentive for political participation by lessening the importance of the domestic economy to the livelihood of recipients. Using survey data from Arab Barometer, I show that remittances are associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in non-electoral political activities, including protests, strikes and contacting elected officials, and (to a smaller extent) with electoral participation. To explore the relationship between remittances and political participation in greater depth, I report the results of interviews with 54 remittance-receiving families in Jordan and Tunisia. This qualitative evidence suggests that the greater relative economic security offered by remittances allows recipients to devote more resources, particularly time, to civic and political participation. The interviews also revealed a strong conditioning effect of gender: women are more likely to use remittances to donate time and money to non-political civil society organisations, while men are more likely to use remittances to conduct explicitly political activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers the first approach to the evolution of the structure and the participants in the remittances market of the United States-Mexico corridor. We identify three different layers in the structure and specify the agents that involve clients, remittance providers, and correspondent banks from 1980 to 2020. We show the structural limitations of the market and suggest how the digital economy and financial technology (fintech) could help to reduce the average cost of cross-border payments. The potential benefits from fintech to the remittances market are espe cially relevant for Mexico since it has a high proportion of unbanked population. Furthermore, the reduction to 3% of the remittance fees has been defined as one of the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. A better and deeper understanding of the characteristics of this market could help to achieve this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on feminist political economy and social reproduction theory, we propose an accounting framework for understanding the distributional role of household production, employment, remittances and government social transfers in the social reproduction of the Cuban people. We apply this quantitative framework to available data and produce estimates for 2016. Our findings demonstrate that households – both domestic and diasporic – were the largest contributors to social reproduction in Cuba. Our empirical exercise reveals how the actual distributional arrangements underlying Cuban social reproduction differ from the official commitments and goals of the Cuban Revolution. The relative contributions in 2016 signal several potentially unsustainable self-reinforcing dynamics that undermine efforts to achieve gender and racial equality on the Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remittances are regarded as an important source of foreign exchange for the majority of low and middle-income countries, and thus have the potential to impact their aggregate economic activities. The current study investigates the impact of remittance inflows and international oil prices on India's trade balance from 1975 to 2020. We use a non-linear autoregressive and distributed lag model to examine the asymmetric impact of remittance and oil price changes on trade balance. The study discovered that rising remittance inflows have a detrimental long-run impact on the trade balance. It also demonstrates that while a positive oil price shock worsens the trade balance, a negative oil price shock improves it in the long run. As a result, the paper emphasises the need to reduce skilled migration, properly channel remittance revenues, develop financial institutions, and implement more efficient exchange rate policies in order to achieve long-term trade surpluses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the impact of migration on economic development is more focused in this study, the opposite effect cannot be ignored and the controversial nature of the interaction of both effects is reexamined. Of course, there are significant gaps that cannot be overlooked: the relationship between migration and development varies from context to context, depending on the scale and nature of migration flows, the experience of migrants, and the economic, political and social conditions in their home countries. Alternative migration regimes should not be expected to produce any uniform outcomes for the development of diverse patterns of skilled and unskilled workers, temporary and permanent migrants, men and women, lone migrants and families who move. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US and Mexican labor markets are closely linked through migrant workers and remittances, and changes in remittance flow may alter labor allocations in the origin households. In this paper, we investigate how the prevalence of COVID-19 in the United States affected the local labor market in Mexico. We construct a Mexican municipality-level measure of exposure to COVID-19 in the United States using data on COVID-19 prevalence across the country and data on migrants' destinations in various states. We find a positive effect of COVID-19 exposure in the United States on hours worked among workers in Mexico, yet no significant effects were found for local wages. We also find that the effect varies across subgroups, which indicates that the responses in hours worked depend on household dynamics, the nature of the occupation-specific tasks, and migration intensity. Finally, we document the potential mechanism behind the effect on hours worked, that is, through the changes in remittances sent to the origin municipalities in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the effect of remittances on selected Indian macroeconomic variables, including output growth, inflation, exchange rate, stock returns, and the money supply. We further divide remittances into an increase and decrease in remittances to explore the asymmetric effect of remittances. Using a novel local projection method and quarterly data from 1997Q2 to 2019Q4, it is found that remittances have a significant and asymmetric effect on the Indian economy. The increase in remittances has an immediate effect, while the decrease in remittances has a delayed effect by around 6 to 8 quarters. The study concludes by arguing that not only the growth of remittances but also their asymmetric effect may be crucial for policy analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the determinants of new firm creation in Africa, focusing on external and internal funding sources and their interactions. It also explores the influence of colonial history by separately analyzing former British and French colonies. The primary goal is to help fill crucial gaps in African literature on the determinants of entrepreneurship. Given Africa's widespread poverty and underdevelopment, understanding what drives entrepreneurship is essential for job creation and economic growth. The study reveals three key findings. First, at the full sample level, remittances are the only external financing source positively associated with new firm creation, while foreign aid and foreign direct investment obstacle it. Internal sources, like savings and credit, do not show significant effects. Second, the subsample analysis reveals heterogeneous results: former British colonies' funding sources align with the overall findings, while in former French colonies, only savings support entrepreneurship. Third, considering control variables, the subsample analysis indicates two distinct entrepreneurship models: opportunity-based in former British colonies and necessity-based in former French colonies. These findings are noteworthy and provide significant policy implications at both national and international levels. Crucially, the positive role of remittances in financing new business initiatives, confirms that migration serves as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sending African countries and the host countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debt-financed migration has been a subject of academic interest for the past two decades. This phenomenon can be divided into two main mechanisms: salary deductions and upfront payments. In salary deductions, facilitators provide migrants with upfront funds that are later deducted from their salaries by their employers. In upfront payments, migrants borrow and mortgage assets to obtain capital to cover migration-related expenses upfront or upon arrival. These expenses are then repaid through remittances. Most of the existing literature on debt-financed migration has taken an economic perspective that emphasizes the risks of debt bondage in salary deductions and vulnerability in upfront payments. Studies critically examine the role of states, brokers, and markets in impacting migrants’ well-being and labor and human rights. However, considering the increasing intensity of migration flows and the widespread use of debt as a funding mechanism, evaluating the relevance of the conventional economic framework is essential. I argue this framework can be supplemented with a richer and more empirical understanding of agency that shows how migrants can effectively use debt for empowerment and protection against debt bondage and vulnerability. To support this argument, I delineate an economic anthropology framework highlighting migrants’ agentic use of debt to their advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Sending and receiving remittances is central to the negotiation of transnational family life, and to nourishing a sense of copresence among physically distant parties. Although the lived experience of this transaction has a very intimate and personal basis, it is also subject to increasing visual and public representation, as a part of the working of dedicated migration industries. Based on an in‐depth exploration of the advertising materials on the YouTube channel of Western Union (WU), we analyse how money circulation is made visible, emplaced in migrant life circumstances and co‐produced through visual narratives that illuminate the micro‐foundations of copresence and its structural limitations. While following the rationale of a commercial product, and despite their idealized contents, WU's stories are revealing about the relational affordances for virtual copresence, its shortcomings and the social embeddedness of remittances in family life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how enhancing remittances affects total factor productivity (TFP) dynamics in Sub‐Saharan Africa. The Generalized Method of Moments empirical strategy is adopted for this study and the engaged TFP dynamics are: TFP, real TFP, welfare TFP, and real welfare TFP. Significant net effects are not apparent from enhancing remittances for TFP, real TFP growth, and welfare TFP while positive net effects are apparent on real welfare TFP. The unexpected findings are elucidated and policy implications are discussed. This study has complemented the attendant literature by assessing how growing remittances influence the dynamics of TFP in sub‐Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new demographic indicator, the remittances‐adjusted support ratio (RASR), which incorporates the support offered through remittances into the existing support ratio (SR). Remittances have increased rapidly in recent decades due to improved technology, and they play a crucial role in the countries that send migrants abroad. This is important as many countries are still undergoing their demographic transitions, and here remittances are particularly relevant. Our formulation of the RASR suggests an alternative in which population pressures are alleviated through migration, but where migrants send remittances and thus provide support without being present in their home countries. We show that the RASR has diverged substantially from the SR in a range of countries during the last three decades. The RASR, therefore, offers new insight into economic and demographic support and constitutes a useful tool for policymakers and researchers in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of remittances on the labor supply decisions of recipients remains a subject of contention. To contribute to the debate, we investigate how the educational attainment and household income of remittance recipients shape their decisions to work. Using data from the 2018–2019 living standard measurement survey for over 61,000 Nigerians and applying the instrumental variable probit and Tobit techniques, we find that remittances are associated with an occupational switch from agriculture to nonagricultural (paid jobs and nonfarm enterprises) works. Specifically, the results show that remittance recipients are more likely to exit or reduce the hours worked on the farm, regardless of educational attainment and household income status. On the other hand, remittances promote labor supply to paid jobs and nonfarm enterprises, especially among the less educated in Northern Nigeria. In terms of household income, the positive effect of remittances on nonfarm jobs only holds for individuals in the top income quartile, regardless of their region of residence. Our findings are robust to alternative estimation techniques and hold important cues for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recognition of the complex and context‐specific interplay between environmental change and human mobility, regionally focused systematic reviews have been acknowledged as very valuable. No such review exists for Southeast Asia (SEA), despite being a region that is significantly shaped by human mobility and a hotspot of environmental change. In this article, we aim to close the gap by systematizing the empirical literature on the causes and consequences of human mobility in the context of environmental change in SEA. The review is based on 63 scientific publications derived from the CliMig database and supplemented by additional backward and author‐citation search methods. The empirical evidence from SEA reveals several overarching themes that are consistent with global trends in the environment‐mobility nexus. In particular, we highlight the importance of remittances—both financial and social—as key mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to environmental uncertainty. We also identify several specific areas of research that require further investigation in the context of SEA, including the conditions faced by migrants in destination areas and the dual‐nature impacts of remittances on both the household and the migrant's perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the case study of Canada's private refugee sponsorship program, we show how neoliberalization heightens the power of non-immigrant civilians to broker immigrants' transnationalism. Private sponsors respond differently to two common and interrelated forms of refugee transnationalism in which they are structurally empowered to intervene. They encourage family reunification while discouraging remittances, although the former often depends on the fulfillment of the latter. Reflecting on these power imbalances, we classify private refugee sponsorship as part of a North American trend to devolve the management of noncitizens from state actors to ordinary citizens. We conclude by encouraging scholars of transnationalism to look down and investigate how non-immigrant private civilians in receiving countries increasingly shape newcomers' cross-border linkages. We also urge them to look up and attend to the broader neoliberal context empowering and structuring the behavior of citizen brokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrants' remittances have often been understood to operate as a form of insurance for families, communities and countries of origin, increasing in times of downturn and disaster. But what happens when the same crisis hits both destination and origin countries simultaneously? During the Covid-19 pandemic, despite early expectations of a dramatic contraction, official recorded remittances were characterized as remarkably a 'resilient' financial flow. This article investigates the people and processes behind remittances through the crisis. Drawing on micro-level mixed-methods primary research in the UK, we investigate indications of community-level resilience in migrants' remittance practices, highlighting that perceptions of rising needs abroad added fuel to people's desire to remit, while diverse economic capacities also mediated remittance sending. Both a strong sense of meaning and connection, and the stresses of managing multiple needs at home and abroad, were apparent in diaspora accounts of sending remittances. While money ultimately continued to flow, through this as through many other crises, the discourse of remittance resilience risks eclipsing the major challenges navigated by migrant communities. The relevance to research and policy in the context of the contemporary cost-of-living crisis is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted projections of economic contraction and a resulting decline in immigrant remittances, which are fundamental to many migrant household survival strategies. However, in the first year of the pandemic, remittances from the United States to Mexico and other Latin American countries remained surprisingly stable. Using novel survey and interview data, we investigate this apparent divergence, and the dynamic familial networks that sustained remittances during the first year of Covid-19. We identify patterns masked by the overall macro trend of resilient remittance flows, including heterogeneity across remitters' responses to the pandemic and household-level strain of remitting during this period. Specifically, we find evidence of an intensified expanded remittance pool, wherein remittance responsibility spread across household and extended family members—especially US citizens, authorized immigrants, and those who were more financially stable—in response to job loss and income instability within remitting households. During a period of extreme hardship, the continued need for remittances among nonmigrant family members contributed to the purposive intensification of these expanded pools. Our study of immigrant remittances during Covid-19 demonstrates the utility of examining complexity, change, and oftentimes strain at the micro-household level that undergirds apparent stability at a macro-level of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous international development targets aim to encourage and formalize remittances, because they can support development efforts while controlling and monitoring illicit capital flows. Despite continued efforts to promote formal remittance channels, informal remittances flourish among specific population groups. This study uses data from the Canadian Study on International Money Transfers to analyze the determinants of remittance modality or channel choice. Previous empirical work tends to classify remittances as either formal or informal. In contrast, this article considers a variety of channels. It shows that the dichotomization of formal versus informal remittances masks crucial differences across remittance channels. Due to Canada's unique geographical positionality, cash transfers operate distinctly from informal methods despite often being treated as a homogenous group in other studies. Interestingly, remitters are also more likely to use formal money transfer operators (most of which offer cash pickup options to recipients) than informal channels to send funds to countries with larger informal sectors. Within the context of Canadian remittance outflows, this invalidates the frequent assumption that more informal destination country economies push remitters to opt for informal transfer methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant housing investments in the countries of origin are a demonstration of their transnational engagement and their potential contribution to local development. Yet, these investments remain relatively understudied on a large scale. In this paper, we explore three related questions on the drivers, prevalence, and development of transnational housing, drawing on an original survey of Ecuadorian and Indian migrants in different European cities. First, what factors account for the likelihood of migrants owning a remittance house? Second, for those migrants without houses abroad, what factors account for the likelihood of aspiring to have a remittance house in the first place, as opposed to "not being interested"? Third, how do factors affecting the likelihood of owning a remittance house compare to those affecting the likelihood of being a remittance house dreamer? Our findings suggest that, among those without a remittance house, the likelihood of being a transnational house dreamer decreases with the length of residence abroad, while the length of stay has no statistically significant impact on the likelihood of transnational house ownership. We also find that migrants with greater economic capacity are less likely to be dreamers and more likely to be transnational house-owners, suggesting that the difference between being a transnational house-dreamer and a transnational house-owner is often financial. Finally, greater attachment to the country of origin increases the likelihood of being both a transnational house owner and a transnational dreamer. We also discuss how the results change across migrant groups and across genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present analysis has explored the effect of external shocks on the predictability of remittance outflows, by relying on an unbalanced panel of 24 developed countries over the period from 1996 to 2020. The indicator of predictability of remittance outflows for a given country in a given year is the deviation of the remittance outflows (as a share of gross domestic product) from its trend. Results are obtained by means of the within-fixed effects estimator, and indicate that external shocks reduce the predictability of remittance outflows, with a larger negative effect on the positive predictability of these capital outflows than on the negative predictability of these capital outflows. The negative effect of external shocks on the predictability of remittance outflows operates through the economic growth channel, with the magnitude of this negative effect being higher in countries with low economic growth rates. Finally, external shocks reduce the predictability of remittance outflows in countries that experience a decline in migrant inflows. This finding has implications for the economic and development prospects of migrants' countries of origin. JEL Classification: F24, F43, O11 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remittance has recently become an essential capital inflow, particularly for developing economies. This has generated much research interest in understanding how remittances affect developing economies. There are, however, limited studies on remittances' influence on trade. The study extends the existing body of knowledge by assessing whether the impact of remittances on trade depends on the size of inflows. As far as we know, the existing literature has not addressed this. The study period spans from 1990 to 2018, covering 32 sub-Saharan countries. Using an endogenous dynamic panel threshold model, the results reveal that although remittance deteriorates trade balance, the rate of deterioration diminishes after an estimated threshold of 2.35 per cent of remittances as a share of GDP. The results imply that when received in small amounts (below 2.35 per cent of GDP), remittances tend to stimulate consumption, leading to increased imports. However, when received in large quantities (above 2.35 per cent of GDP), remittances boost domestic investments leading to rising exports. The results are robust to alternate estimation techniques and measurement of remittances. Based on the findings, we recommend that policymakers in SSA integrate the volume of remittances received in their macroeconomic modelling frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty remains a significant challenge in developing nations, as exemplified by the situation in Indonesia. The connection between energy poverty and insufficient financial resources to fulfill basic energy requirements is significant. Remittances hold the potential to address energy poverty. This study seeks to explore the contribution of remittances to alleviating multidimensional energy poverty among households in Indonesia. Data for this research are sourced from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) from 2007 to 2014. This study uses traditional migrant-sending districts as an instrumental variable to address endogeneity concerns arising from the reverse causality between remittances and energy poverty. The findings indicate that remittances from migrant workers can help alleviate multidimensional energy poverty in Indonesia, as demonstrated by the two-stage least-squares (2SLS) methodology. Households receiving assistance use the funds to increase their energy consumption and alleviate energy deprivation by directing resources toward electricity, appliances, and communication services. Additionally, the study highlights that economic disparities play a role in shaping the relationship between remittances and energy poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This review is intended to explore the SWOC analysis of Migration in India. This concept examines the effects of migration on the social life of individuals and their level of financial security. i.e., we can say strengths, weakness, opportunities, and challenges in the study of Migration. Some other reasons that might contribute to the process of migration were also conferred in this paper. This movement of people used to be relatively straightforward with all intermediaries present, but nowadays it is gender, remittance, and season-specific. The current review paper takes a sociological approach to examining the SWOC analysis of Migration in India. The SWOC is focused on recognizing the causative elements in Migration. The main area of this review is to recognize the reasons for migration and their widespread effects on social, financial, spiritual, and emotional well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do remittances affect domestic terrorism? Past work argues that remittances increase groups' resources and increase terrorism. However, we argue that the effect of remittances depends on political institutions. Within democracies, remittances can help groups overcome barriers to legitimate politics and reduce terrorism's allure. Within autocracies, however, fewer legitimate political opportunities exist, and remittances may lead to more terrorism as it remains an alternative and available political outlet. We find that remittances are associated with less (more) domestic terrorism within democracies (autocracies) and use additional mechanism tests to demonstrate that the competitive aspects of democracy help explain these trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the empirical link between remittance inflows and India's economic growth, particularly emphasizing the association's asymmetries as the prior studies were neglected. Therefore, it formulated a growth function that assesses the non-linear influence of the remittance inflows on economic growth by endogenizing the gross fixed capital formation, official exchange rate, and export growth. Relying on the annual time series data for India, the work uses the Non-Linear Auto-Regressive Distribution Lag (NARDL) model to expose the non-linear influence of the remittance inflows on economic growth by controlling the gross fixed capital formation, official exchange rate, and export growth for the period ranges from 1975 to 2021. The outcomes show the presence of the long-run relationship among the variables vector. Further, the results indicate an asymmetric impact of remittance inflows on economic growth both in the long run and short run. Moreover, the findings reveal a rise in the remittance inflows leads to an increase in economic growth, whereas a fall in the remittance inflows ends up in a reduction of economic growth. Additionally, the outcomes show a negative and significant impact of gross fixed capital formation and official exchange rate on economic growth in the long run. It also observed an insignificant negative influence of export growth on the specified growth model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between Kosovo remittances, migration and labor force participation and seeks to uncover how migration and remittances, often considered separately, interact to shape labor market outcomes across gender, age and education groups. Design/methodology/approach: To analyze the relationship between remittances, migration and labor force participation, this study leverages multivariate probit (mvprobit) to rectify the endogeneity issue intrinsic from remittances and migration. Utilizing this robust methodological approach allows us to circumvent the limitations traditionally associated with biprobit analysis. The research is grounded in empirical evidence from the Millennium Century Corporation survey in Kosovo. Findings: The findings indicate that remittances and migration are pivotal determinants in shaping the contours of labor force participation, particularly influencing disparities across gender, age and educational attainment. Further, this study unearthed intriguing evidence suggesting the disincentivizing effect of remittances on labor force participation, alongside the potentially disruptive influence of prospective migration plans. Originality/value: The novelty of this work lies not only in the context-specific insights it provides into the socio-economic fabric of Kosovo—an area that has hitherto received limited scholarly attention—but also in its methodological innovation. The simultaneous application of mvprobit technique provides a nuanced approach to tackle the inherent endogeneity issue, thereby pushing the methodological frontiers of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive migration of the rural population, triggered by agrarian distress, to the more developed regions of India for lowly paid jobs in the informal sector has been one of the most striking phenomena in neoliberal India. The last two decades have also witnessed an unprecedented out-migration of rural population from the northeast Indian state of Assam to the metropolises and growth centres in other parts of India in search of livelihood. Based on a study conducted in Bengaluru among migrant workers from Assam, this article examines the networks that facilitate such out-migration, its circular nature, and their working and living conditions in the city. The remittances of the migrants provide only temporary relief to their families in the villages and despite their periodic return to the village with the intent to settle down, poverty and lack of alternative livelihood force them to migrate to the city again. The oscillation between the dehumanising conditions of their life in the city and the economic hardship in the village continues without any reprieve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the impact of remittances on economic development in Nigeria between 1980 and 2020. ARDL (Auto-regressive Distributed Lag) is used in this study. An analysis of the unit root test was conducted in which variables such as gross domestic product per capita, gross fixed capital formation and as well as inflation, which is integrated with order zero I(0), and variables such as exchange rate, household consumption expenditure and remittances are integrated of order one I(1). In order to confirm the long-term relationships among the variables, the Co-integration bound test was used. Long-term relationships were confirmed between the variables. In addition, the study was free of serial correlations and stable. The study revealed that a positive relationship exists between remittances, gross fixed capital formation and household consumption expenditure to gross domestic product per capital (economic development) and a negative relationship between real exchange rate and gross domestic product per capital. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that remittances have a positive impact and are linked to economic development in the long run, and that remittances should be encouraged as an alternative means of financing investment.

This paper examines the cyclicality of remittance inflows to economies in Asia and the Pacific, aiming to identify major factors associated with remittances using gravity models of bilateral remittances. An analysis that assesses correlation coefficients between the cyclical factors of remittances and gross domestic product suggests that remittances tend to be countercyclical, or acyclical, against the business cycle of the remittance-receiving economy relative to the sending economy. This observation is confirmed by the gravity models of bilateral remittances. Furthermore, the estimation results suggest that migrant stock is one of the most significant factors affecting bilateral remittances. The study also shows that an increase in bilateral remittances can be attributed to a higher occurrence of disasters triggered by natural hazards in receiving economies, an appreciation of the receiving economy’s currency value against the sending economy’s, a lower interest rate differential (receiver–sender), greater capital account openness, more political instability, and lower costs of remittances.

This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on remittance flows to South Asia. Using a monthly panel data set of five South Asian countries (namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) for the period January 2020 to August 2021. This study, applying the pooled ordinary least square estimation method, generally, finds a positive impact of COVID-19 on remittance flows to South Asia. Further investigation reveals the existence of a non-linear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between COVID-19 cases and remittances. This means that with the initial covid spread leading to temporary restrictions affecting economic activity in home countries, remittances start increasing to support families' income and consumption affected by the regulations. However, the very high levels of infection rates leading to continued lockdowns in home countries decrease the incentives for investment with substantially reduced economic activities, thus decreasing aggregate remittances. We found similar results when replacing infection rates with deaths from COVID-19. However, increasing COVID-19 infection rates and deaths in migrants' host countries reduce remittances to migrants' home countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study departs from earlier studies by incorporating nonlinearities, asymmetric structures, cross-sectional dependence, and policy variations across countries into the remittance-poverty causal nexus. Due to the high incidence of extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite the persistent remittance inflows to the region, data on SSA for the periods 1981–2020 are analyzed using the Hatemi-J data decomposition procedure, a battery of second-generation estimators, and Dumitrescu-Hurlin heterogeneous panel Granger non-causality test. The findings, unlike prior studies, confirm the existence of cross-sectional dependence, as well as the need for policy diversity among SSA countries. The research outcomes also differ from previous research in that they reveal multiple features of asymmetries in the causality between remittances and poverty reduction which vary across SSA countries. Policy differences among SSA nations to address country-specific peculiarities are attested by symmetric causality. In certain countries, remittance inflows are stimulating factors that induce poverty reduction, whereas, in others, the high incidence of extreme poverty is a causal agent that pushes Africans in the diaspora to send money home to help alleviate poverty. Only a few instances of bidirectional causality have been established. Evidence of no causality is found to exist in some countries. The outcomes of nonlinear and asymmetric causalities are more diverse. All of the pairs of positive and negative components show strong evidence of asymmetric causality, which varies across SSA countries with more informative and robust policy dimensions. The imperative policy implications of the research outputs for poverty reduction are drawn and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the nonlinear relationship between workers' remittances and real effective exchange rates for West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) member countries using the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR). The PSTR was estimated with one transition function and one location parameter as dictated by the diagnostic tests. The diagnostic tests reveal that the relationship between workers' remittances and real effective rates is nonlinear. The estimated threshold value is 3.07%. The results reveal that increases in workers' remittances have a depreciating effect on real effective exchange rates in regime one, associated with threshold value of less than 3.07%. However, in the second regime when the threshold value is greater than or equal to 3.07%, increases in workers remittances have an appreciating impact on real effective exchange rates. These results substantiate that the relationship between workers' remittances and real effective exchange rates is asymmetric and as such should be modeled accordingly. Above all, the results confirm the presence of Dutch disease effect in the second regime where the estimated coefficient on workers' remittances is negative and statistically significant. However, there is no evidence of Dutch disease effect in the first regime where the regression coefficient on workers remittances is positive and also statistically significant. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant workforces and remittance inflow have drawn considerable attention in global economic research. During the past few decades, remittance inflow became a crucial economic growth component in many emerging nations. The current study, employing a time–frequency-based wavelet technique, investigates the dynamic causal relationship between migration, foreign remittance, and economic growth in an emerging country such as Bangladesh. The findings reveal the dynamic causal among the variables; however, the results present time-varying movement under the time–frequency spaces framework. Notably, the evidence shows a significant relationship among the variables in the long run. A strong correlation appeared on the 5–16 band scales among the pair of migration and foreign remittance (MIG-REM), migration and economic growth (MIG-GDP), and foreign remittance and economic growth (REM-GDP). The outcomes suggest that Bangladesh's economic indicators are highly interrelated in the long run. Therefore, the fluctuation of indicators altered and exposed a low volatility scale for the Bangladeshi economy in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries all over the world focus on industrialization as a foundation for rapid economic development and unemployment reduction. Without stable external and domestic finance, we cannot achieve this goal. Financial volatility has an impact on a country’s industrialization process. The aim of this study is to determine how external and domestic credit volatility affect industrialization in Africa. Data for some selected countries for 1992–2020 was used. The author used the Prais-Winsten regression method with Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) to estimate and analyze the model. Descriptive and quantitative methods of analysis were also used to analyze the long-balanced panel data set for the 17 selected African countries with available data. The results showed a combination of positive and negative effects of financial volatility on industrialization in Africa. The study concludes that domestic credit volatility has adversely affected industrialization in Africa and recommends the development of financial institutions on the continent through recapitalization, skilled manpower development and innovative development of different financial instruments.

The article examines the problems of regulating illegal migration by developed countries and the European Union, the achievements that cause not always correct criticism, and the possibilities of using the experience of a number of countries and new approaches in this regulation are shown. Particular attention is paid to international organizations dealing with the problems of international migration. It was concluded that there is no clear division of their functions by type of migration, which prevents the formation of long-term policies. Proposals were formulated to strengthen the role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in rule-making and norm-setting on labor migration, which plays an increasingly important role in sustainable development. It was concluded that it is necessary to change the status of the migration conventions, otherwise effective regulation of labor migration is impossible. The countries of the Persian Gulf that attract external labor immigrants despite the rapid growth of the local population are highlighted. The difference in countries’ policies towards labor migration in the 21st century compared to the 20th century is shown. The concept of “fiduciary duty” of federal governments in relation to external migration was introduced.

Abstract The massive increase in labor migration to the Middle East during the past three decades has rivaled its historical trends bound to the West. This paper assesses how this growing trend of migration may have helped shape the economic structure and performance across the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Findings from a descriptive and time series regression analysis of the limited cross-country data show that the experience with labor migration and its linkage with other aspects of the economy are varied. The migration trend coinciding with increasing personal remittances attests to the competitive demand for foreign labor. While labor migration shows mixed association with the key aspects of the economy, the stock of migrant population is negatively associated with economic growth. Albeit seemingly contradictory, the insights from this six-country analysis covering the periods since 1990 are useful to understand the complex nature of relationship between labor migration and economic structure and performance in the region.