The Effects of Visa Restrictions on Migrants' Well-Being: A Diff-in-Diff

• In Event: Migration and Restriction in the Global South

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of the introduction of visa restrictions on migrants’ well-being in the context of mass displacement and porous borders. I study the recent mass displacement of Venezuelan nationals, and compare the cases of Chile, Ecuador and Peru, where in June 2019 visa restrictions were introduced, with Colombia, where Venezuelan entry was continuously allowed without the need for a visa. I use a data set of 85 thousand migrants in need of international protection as identified by the UNHCR as part of its monitoring activity of migrants’ well-being in the Latin American region. The dataset contains mostly Venezuelan nationals. Findings suggest that the introduction of visa restrictions increased irregular entry - with no sizeable effect on the number of entries - while also leading to an increase in rates of physical violence suffered by migrants and a change in their priorities, thus slowing their rates of integration in the host country. This research contributes to the academic and policy debate on the effectiveness of visa restrictions by providing empirical evidence on the effects of such restrictions on migrants' well-being.

Author

• Omar Hammoud Gallego, The London School of Economics and Political Science