Development Implications of Involuntary Immobility: When Origin Countries Restrict Emigration

The focus of academic research on migration has traditionally been on migrants—people who have moved to another country. However, the vast majority of the world’s population are not migrants; they continue to live in the country where they were born. This study examines a specific group within that non-migrant population: involuntary non-migrants. Some countries have historically prohibited certain groups of people from leaving, meaning that some individuals would have preferred to migrate but were unable to do so. I study the consequences of these policies on those individuals and on the country as a whole. Additionally, I aim to provide an overview of restrictive emigration policies in various countries in recent history.