Gender and chain migration: The case of Aruba

Abstract

Family reunifi cation and family formation form a substantial part of chain migration, as most countries accept this form of settlement on the basis of humanitarian commitment to protecting families. Yet this does not mean that all migrants are treated equally in allowing them to bring over family members. Whether people are allocated this statutory right depends on their social and economic position. Women might be ‘triply disadvantaged’ as migrant women are often in more marginal jobs, from a different ethnicity, and have a harder time in acquiring these statutory rights. In this contribution we test this gender hypothesis using data from Aruba. Aruba provides an interesting case because the rapid development of the tourist-driven economy has given rise to enormous labour shortages across the various sectors of the economy, and it is now among the ten countries in the world with the highest net immigration rate. Due to its geographical position the island has recruited labour migrants from both Latin and North America and also from Europe. Dutch nationals receive preferential treatment as Aruba is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This diversity in immigration allows for an analysis of the social, ethnic, economic and legal determinants of family reunifi cation. The results show that women have a disadvantaged position with respect to each of these determinants. On top of that a separate gender effect remains, indicating that it is harder for women migrants to bring over their spouses and children from their home country.