Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/278994 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16296
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Irregular migration from West Africa to Europe across the Sahara and Mediterranean is extremely risky for migrants and a key policy concern. A cluster-randomized experiment with 3,641 young men from 391 settlements in The Gambia is used to test three approaches to reducing risky migration: providing better information and testimonials about the risks of the journey, facilitating migration to a safer destination by providing information and assistance for migration to Dakar, and offering vocational skill training to enhance domestic employment opportunities. Current migration to Senegal was increased by both the Dakar facilitation and vocational training treatments, partially crowding out internal migration. The vocational training treatment reduced intentions to migrate the backway and the number of steps taken toward moving. However, the backway migration rate from The Gambia collapsed, even in the control group, resulting in no space for a treatment effect on irregular migration from any of the three interventions.
Subjects: 
cash transfer
vocational training
information interventions
migration deterrence
irregular migration
randomized experiment
JEL: 
O15
F22
J61
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.