Return or remittances? Diaspora economic policies of latin american and caribbean states

Abstract

Explanations of why migrants return to their countries of origin tend to focus on micro and macro level factors: from viewing the move as an individual choice (e.g. neoclassical economics) or a household strategy (e.g. new economics of labor migration), to seeing it as determined by the structural conditions of receiving or sending countries (e.g. economic cycles, wage differentials, etc.). Yet we know very little about how states of origin combine their policies towards emigrants to establish economic links with them, from remittances to return. Using an original dataset for LAC countries, we provide an initial descriptive panorama that highlights the choices that states make in this regard. We compare return policies to other economic policies geared to emigrants. This allows detecting of return policies, which are often neglected in comparative diaspora policy studies, and are one of several developed by states as part of their economic strategies. Furthermore, this first attempt at descriptive analysis provides further paths to explore the causal links behind diaspora policy development within the realm of economic policy.