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This chapter begins by documenting that temporary migrations are not only very common, but that outmigration of immigrants is selective both in terms of migrants' individual characteristics and their economic outcomes. We then examine the problems that arise when estimating immigrants' earnings profiles when outmigration is selective, and discuss the identifying assumptions needed to answer three different questions on immigrants' earnings careers. We show how better data can help to relax these assumptions, suggest appropriate estimators, and provide an illustration using simulated data. We finally provide an overview of existing papers that use different types of data to address selective outmigration when estimating immigrants' earnings profiles.

In this paper, I study temporary migrations, and its consequences for immigrants' behaviour. I distinguish between temporary migrations where the return time is exogenous, and temporary migrations where the migrant chooses when to return. I then illustrate the consequences both types of temporary migration have for migrants' behaviour (as opposed to a permanent migration). If migrations are non-permanent, then this has also consequences for the way empirical models need to be specified. The problems arising for empirical work are discussed in the second part of the paper. Finally, I summarise some empirical evidence which is consistent with the hypothesis that the behaviour of temporary migrants is different from that of migrants with permanent migration intentions.

This paper uses two recent UK surveys to investigate labour market performance, the determinants of language proficiency, and the effect of language on earnings and employment probabilities of non-white immigrants. Our results show that language acquisition, employment probabilities, as well as earnings differ widely across non-white immigrants, according to their ethnic origin. Language has a strong and positive effects on employment probabilities. Furthermore, lack of English fluency leads to substantial earnings losses of immigrants. While earnings of white and ethnic minority natives develop in a similar manner, there is a large earnings gap between these two groups, and ethnic minority immigrants. English fluency contributes considerably to reducing these differences. Addressing the problems of measurement error and unobserved heterogeneity in language variables, our results indicate that measurement error in the language variable leads to underestimation of the importance of language for employment probabilities and earnings in straightforward regressions. In comparison with results found for other countries, language proficiency seems to be more important for labour market outcomes of UK immigrants.

Der Beitrag untersucht den Zusammenhang von Migrationspolitiken und der sozialen und ökonomischen Adaption und Integration von Immigranten und deren Nachkommen. Es wird argumentiert, dass eine Politik temporärer Arbeits- und Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen negative Auswirkungen auf die Investitionen von Immigranten in ihr ökonomisches und soziales Humankapital hat, was sich wiederum nachteilig auf die soziale und ökonomische Integration auswirkt. Auch die Bildung von Humankapital bei den Kindern der Immigranten wird durch temporäre Aufenthalte negativ beeinflusst. Der empirische Befund stützt diese Hypothese und unterstreicht damit die Bedeutung einer sorgfältigen Abwägung möglicher langfristiger Effekte bereits in der Phase des Entwurfs von Migrationspolitiken.