Better migrants, better PISA results: Findings from a natural experiment

Author(s) : Maria A. Cattaneo, Stefan C. Wolter

Source : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40176-015-0042-y

Abstract:

This paper attempts to shed new light on the question of the impact of migration policy on the schooling outcomes of immigrant students using a radical change in immigration policy in Switzerland in the mid-nineties as a natural experiment. Until 1994, Switzerland had a “low-qualified only” policy that not only favored the immigration of low-skilled immigrants but also made it very difficult for qualified migrants to enter Switzerland. After 1994, with the so-called Three Circles Policy, Switzerland implemented a more or less free movement of labor for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and barred entry for non-qualified migrants from all other countries. This change has led—as was expected—to a change in the mix of qualifications of new immigrants to Switzerland.