VII Workshop on Immigration, Health, and Wellbeing
26-27 June 2023
University of Verona, Department of Economics
Keynote Speakers:
Giovanni Peri, UC Davis
Christina Schmalenbach, Asylum Welcome, Oxford
Semih Tümen, TEDU
 
Call for Papers. We are soliciting papers for the VI Workshop on Migration, Health, and Well-Being. The workshop’ focus is broad, covering empirical economic research on these topics. The workshop will last two days, with a small number of hour-long research presentations. The workshop aims to foster new connections among scholars with common interests in these areas. The workshop will be hosted by the University of Verona. The workshop is sponsored by the Department of Economics and the Doctoral Programme in Economics and Finance of the University of Verona, and by the European Commission. 
 
The contributions presented will be also considered for publication into a related Special Issue of Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization on Immigration, Health, and Wellbeing. 
 
The literature has shown that migrants are not usually a threat to the health, wages, employment structure or welfare of the host population, however public debates on migration have increased in the last decade around the world and new immigration policies are still on the political agenda of many parties. In the past few years, the political developments in Afghanistan and Syria and the Ukraine-Russia war have displaced millions of people; however, too little is known about the health and well-being of migrants and refugees. Statistics show that migrants, and in particular refugees, suffer from higher levels of depression and feelings of isolation compared to natives. Poverty, poor literacy and poor English language skills are likely to create further isolation and barriers to accessing social and healthcare services. Migrants and refugees are also often employed in low-paid occupations, work in the gig economy or are self-employed, and receive pressure to send remittances back home to help families left behind. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these issues have been exacerbated and migrants and refugees have become even more vulnerable. Not only they have experienced higher unemployment rates with the implementation of lockdowns and the closure of many economic activities, but they have also been more exposed to COVID-19 infections as they make up a significant proportion of front-line workers in sectors disproportionately exposed to the virus. As they are less familiar with the healthcare systems in host countries due to language and other social barriers, they also experienced reduced possibilities to receive help. Social distancing and self-isolation measures had the greatest impact on families reliant on low and intermittent incomes. Many refugees experienced more mental health issues due to the loss of jobs, emotional stress, and loneliness. The uncertainty of the past few years has thus presented significant severe challenges to migrants and refugees, but they also provided unique opportunities for researchers to advance investigation on refugees' social and economic integration, mental and physical health and well-being, and for policymakers to take stock and reset their attitude towards migrants and refugees. 
 
In this Special Issue, we are interested in presenting original primary research focusing on migrant and refugee well-being, behaviours, health/mental status, human capital, employment, and entrepreneurship. 
This Special Issue invites high-quality contributions that include, but are not limited to, the following areas: 
1.            Migration/refugee policies, and migrant/refugee health, well-being, socioeconomic outcomes, entrepreneurship and innovation.
2.            Education, vocational training, technology and migrant/refugee well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.
3.            Migration/refugee economic behaviours. 
4.            Migration/refugee policies and host countries’ performance (GDP, growth, employment levels, wages, income).
5.            The socio-economic integration of asylum seekers and refugees in receiving societies.
6.            The effects of migration and asylum policies on the size, composition, movements and (economic and non-economic) outcomes of displaced people;
7.            The overall impact of migrants' presence on hosting societies.
 
If you are interested in presenting a paper at the meeting, please send a draft of your paper to [log in para visualizar] by 30 March 2023. Decisions will be made by 1 May 2022.
 
            Participation fees: £280
 
 
Organisers: A. Bucciol (University of Verona), J. Madia (University of Oxford), C. Nicodemo (University of Verona & University of Oxford), and C. Tealdi (Heriot-Watt University)