The Dynamics of Remittance Behavior Among Senegalese Immigrants in Spain

Ignacio Carrasco, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Ognjen Obucina, INED

The main objective of this paper is to analyze how the economic integration at destination, ties to the country of origin, and migration decision-making process affect the dynamics of remittance behavior among Senegalese immigrant men and women in Spain. We analyze the determinants of both remittance sending and the termination thereof. The empirical analysis is based on retrospective data from the Migration between Africa and Europe (MAFE) and the Migrations between Senegal and Spain (MESE) surveys. In the first part of the analysis, we use logistic regression to analyze the odds of sending remittances at any point after arrival in Spain. In the second part, we use event history analysis to explore which factors determine the initiation of remittance sending as well as the termination of remittances once initiated. The results show that 1) a majority of Senegalese immigrants remit, 2) most of them start remitting soon after arrival in Spain, and 3) once they start remitting, almost three quarters of Senegalese in Spain maintain this activity over the subsequent ten years. The multivariate analysis shows a strong positive association between being employed and remittance sending. Strong ties to the origin are also important predictors of remittance behavior – having at least one child in Senegal and having assets in Senegal increase the likelihood of remitting. Frequent visits to Senegal are also positively and significantly associated with remittance sending. The lack of economic capacities, such as non-employment, substantially increases the likelihood of stopping to remit. Having no children in Senegal also increases the likelihood of remittance termination, whereas other indicators of ties to the origin are not significant predictors of remittance termination. The nature of migration decision-making process is not a significant predictor of the dynamics of remittance behavior.

Presented in Session 110: Economics of International Migration: Remittances, Welfare, Poverty