#2016-051 A 'healthy immigrant effect' or a 'sick immigrant effect'? Selection and policies matter
Amelie Constant, Teresa García-Muñoz, Shoshana Neuman & Tzahi Neuman
Previous literature in a variety of countries has documented a "healthy
immigrant effect" (HIE). Accordingly, immigrants arriving in the host
country are, on average, healthier than comparable natives. However,
their health status dissipates with additional years in the country. HIE
is explained through the positive self-selection of the healthy
immigrants as well as the positive selection, screening and
discrimination applied by host countries. In this paper we study the
health of immigrants within the context of selection and migration
policies. Using SHARE data we examine the HIE comparing Israel and
sixteen countries in Europe that have fundamentally different migration
policies. Israel has virtually unrestricted open gates for Jewish people
around the world, who in turn have ideological rather than economic
considerations to move. European countries have selective policies with
regards to the health, education and wealth of migrants, who also
self-select themselves. Our results provide evidence that a) immigrants
to Israel have compromised health and suffer from many health ailments,
making them less healthy than comparable natives. Their health does not
improve for up to 20 years of living in Israel, after which they become
similar to natives; b) immigrants to Europe have better health than
natives and their health advantage persists up to six years from their
arrival, after which they are not significantly different than natives
except in one case in which the health of immigrants became worse than
that of natives after 21 years. Our results are important for migration
policy and relevant for domestic health policy.
Keywords: self-reported health status, immigration, Europe, Israel, older population, multilevel regression, SHARE
JEL Classification: C22, J11, J12, J14, O12, O15, O52