Sibling influence on migration pathways from the French overseas to mainland France

Abstract

Abstract Research shows that economic, political and social factors all drive migration, but we still know little about their interaction, especially the interplay between increasingly selective migration policies and family relations. Studies stress the role played by social capital in responding to migration restrictions and the importance of intermediaries in encouraging access to institutional resources, but we lack systematic analyses linking migrant networks and recourse to migration-facilitating programs. This paper fills this gap by investigating how siblings’ influence and migration programs combine in shaping migration from the French Overseas departments (DOM). Using a survey with detailed information on DOM families’ migration histories (MFV, INED, 2010), it assesses whether individuals stay, migrate with or without the support of migration programs, depending on their siblings’ past trajectories. A longitudinal approach and the nesting of individuals within families allow controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Siblings migrating without the programs’ support decrease the chances of migration with it and increase the chances of migration without it. Siblings migrating with the programs’ support increase the chances of migration with it and decrease the chances of migration without it. This work shows how DOM populations engage with selective pro-migration policies, stressing the role of family relations in driving cumulative patterns of migration. It contributes to uncovering the way social and political factors interact in contexts of high migration prevalence with increased selectivity of migration and especially pro-migration policies.