To Migrate With orWithout the Children—A Theoretical Note

Tens of millions of young children were left behind by their migrant parents who left to find a job elsewhere to gain a better income and improve their families' living standards. Many studies suggest that migrant parents should bring their children rather than leave them behind, especially EU internal migrants. In this short note, we give an economic reasoning for the choice of migrant parents. Our finding shows that emotionally, bringing the children makes both
children and parents better off; however, economically, that may not be the case. The ambiguity depends on the forgone opportunity cost, relocation cost of children, children's motivation, and the quality of the public school at the origin and destination.