Remittance-Sending Behaviour Along Migration Trajectories: The Case of Senegalese, Ghanaian and Congolese Migrants

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the remittance-sending behaviour of Ghanaian, Congolese and Senegalese migrants along their migration trajectories to Europe. We aim to understand the extent to which and why sending remittances might differ when the migrants consider themselves to be either en route or settled. We hypothesise that migrants on the move experience legal and economic precariousness and have a lesser capacity and, hence, probability to remit. Moreover, we argue that migrants with close family members and assets in the origin country have higher incentives to remit but are less likely to do so if they are on the move. Overall, we do not find support for the argument that being on the move decreases the probability of sending remittances. Surprisingly, we illustrate that migrants on the move are more likely to be employed and to send remittances compared to settled migrants. We argue that the former may consider their situation to be insecure – despite being employed – and want to keep in closer contact with their country of origin. The chapter highlights the importance of including a(n) (im)mobility perspective when studying remittance-sending and the need for a fuller understanding of how frictions and experiences along more complex migration trajectories affect remittance-sending behaviour.