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Migration, child education, human capital accumulation, and a brain dilution tax

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2025

Leonid V. Azarnert
Leonid V. Azarnert*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, HSE University, 3A Kantemirovskaya St., St Petersburg, Russia
*
Email: leonid.azarnert@gmail.com
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Abstract

I study the effect of educational policy in the host economy on human capital accumulation and growth. The analysis is performed in a two-country growth model with endogenous fertility. I show that providing additional free educational services for immigrant children can increase the attractiveness of migration for less skilled individuals, which can outweigh the positive effect of this policy on the acquisition of human capital. In contrast, imposing taxes on immigrants in the host country reduces low-skilled immigration flows and has the potential to promote human capital accumulation if the resulting revenues are channeled into educational subsidies.

Keywords

migrationchild educationfertilityhuman capitalgrowthbrain drainbrain dilution taxD30F22J10J13J24O15O40

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Type
Research Paper
Information
Journal of Demographic Economics , First View , pp. 1 - 18
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with Université catholique de Louvain

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