| Abstract: |
Using a unique data set from the major Colombian cities collected between
2000-2003 and with information on more than 16,000 households, this paper
studies the relationship between the kidnap risk a household faces with its
migration decisions. We find evidence that exposure to such risk induces
households to react sending some of their members to an international
destination but not necessarily to a domestic one. This finding is robust to
the inclusion of several household characteristics usual in the migration
literature and an alternative measure of kidnap risk. The implication of our
findings suggest a possible “brain drain” from Colombia. |