Reform of the EU Sugar Regime: Impacts on Sugar Production in Ireland

Economic pull factors

As expected high unemployment figures are negatively related to relative
numbers of asylum applications and this relationship is highly significant.
While some displaced persons will have little or no choice where they end
up applying for asylum, as travel options might be limited or
predetermined by existing trafficking routes and forced migrants might be
under great time pressure to leave their country which does not give them
sufficient time to weigh their options, other asylum seekers will have more
time and the ability to choose where to apply for asylum. The data
analysed here suggests that economic considerations do play a role when it
comes to decisions about where to apply for asylum. When controlling for
the other factors included in the model, one observes that asylum seekers
apply in higher numbers in countries which offer greater employment
opportunities. This will of course be true for economic migrants who use
the asylum route in an attempt to circumvent the restrictive immigration
regimes of developed countries. However, given the strength of the above
correlation and the fact that almost 40 percent of all asylum seekers
across OECD countries are awarded some protection status, we can
reasonably interpret the above results in support of our expectation that
labour market considerations also play a role in the considerations of
forced migrants. Seeking physical security from persecution as well as
economic opportunities in a country of destination can hardly be regarded
as incompatible objectives for people forced to leave their country of origin.
In contrast to the strong effect labour market factors, general economic
growth appears to have no significant effect on the distribution of asylum
seekers. Part of the reason for this might be that the OECD countries
analysed here are all likely to be perceived as rich, economically thriving,
industrialised countries. For new arrivals to benefit from the economic
situation of a host-country, however, employment opportunities are
regarded as more important than a country’s performance with regard to
short-term economic growth.

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