September 2005

IZA DP No. 1753: How Important Is Homeland Education for Refugees' Economic Position in The Netherlands?

published in: Journal of Population Economics, 2009, 22 (1), 219-246

We use data on refugees admitted to the Netherlands that include registration of education in their homeland by immigration officers. Such data are seldom available. We investigate the quality and reliability of the registrations and then use them to assess effects on refugees' economic position during the first five years after arrival. The most remarkable finding is the absence of returns to higher education.