First-generation immigrant transfers and mobility intentions: longitudinal evidence from France
Abstract
Migrants who intend to stay permanently in the host country are less likely to be attached to their origin country, meaning that a temporary migration should increase the likelihood of sending financial transfers to the origin country. We test the relevance of this hypothesis using a unique dataset on the integration of first-generation migrants living in France and who were interviewed three times from 2010 to 2013. Family transfers sent to the origin country are frequent, with an incidence of donors ranging between 40% and 50%, and the probability of remittances is higher among temporary migrants. The return–transfer relationship is not affected by the intention of migrants to bring other family members with them to France and sending money abroad is more frequently observed when migrants express their intention to consolidate their families in France. These findings suggest that remittances help immigrants prepare for an expected return while maintaining relationships with family members remaining in their origin country.