The widespread use of foreign aid to address the "root causes" of irregular migration lacks a robust empirical foundation. In a new study (Fuchs, A., A. Groeger, T. Heidland, and L. Wellner (2023). The Effect of Foreign Aid on Migration: Global Micro-Evidence from World Bank Projects. Kiel...

In 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to allow over a million asylum seekers to cross the border into Germany. One key concern at the time was that her decision would signal an open-door policy to aspiring migrants worldwide – thus, increasing migration to Germany in the long-term....