RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Unexpected colonial returns
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1123-13209R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.1123-13209R1
A1 Gielen, Anne C.
A1 Webbink, Dinand
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/05/05/jhr.1123-13209R1.abstract
AB A ban on migration from Suriname, a former Dutch colony, to the Netherlands induced a mass migration and changed the selection of migrants. We exploit this historical episode to study the relationship between the self-selection of migrants and their long-term economic integration over three generations. ‘Beat-the-ban’ migrants, those arriving just before the ban, are negatively selected compared to economic migrants arriving earlier. This difference in selection is reflected in the outcomes of the first generation. However, the inequality in outcomes between differently selected migrants is not persistent. The offspring of negatively selected migrants has a faster catch-up to natives which can be explained by inequities in the country of origin.