What are the effects of permanent international emigration on the community of origin? If on the one hand emigration implies a loss of human capital and labour force for those left behind, migrants send remittances that can be used to foster economic development back home. In this project, we exploit a historical natural experiment, the deployment of colonial soldiers in Morocco between 1946 and 1956, to estimate the effect of international outmigration on the communities of origin. We find that higher deployment to France during the protectorate induced more international emigration today, a shift from agriculture to services, and more economic development today.
STEG Project Policy Brief
• Research Theme 2: Labour, Home Production, and Structural Transformation at the Level of the Household,
Research Theme 5: The Role of the Public Sector,
Cross-Cutting Issue 3: Inequality and Inclusion
En Route: The French Colonial Army, Emigration and Development
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