Economists and Economic Historians gathered at the University of Gothenburg on 6–7 May 2026 for a workshop examining the economic consequences of forced migration. The focus was on discussing how large-scale population displacements shape labour markets, public finances, human capital, and long-term development.
The Workshop on Forced Migration and Economic Legacies focused on both historical and contemporary migration episodes, with particular emphasis on Europe. Participants highlighted how such episodes can serve as “quasi-experimental” settings - allowing researchers to better understand how economies adjust to sudden demographic shocks and how these effects persist over time.
The keynote speech was delivered by Andreas Ferrara, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh and affiliated with both the National Bureau of Economic Research and the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin. His presentation, “America’s Hidden Legacy of Racial and Ethnic Expulsions,” explored how historical expulsions continue to influence economic and social outcomes in the United States. Ferrara’s broader research spans economic history, migration, labour markets, discrimination, and long-run causal analysis.
Across six thematic sessions, researchers presented new findings on a wide range of topics. Early sessions examined how forced migration affects individuals and societies across generations, including its impact on human capital formation and personality traits. Other contributions explored how temporary migration can influence international cooperation and integration.
The workshop also highlighted contemporary migration crises. One study presented new evidence on hunger-driven emigration from Venezuela, while another examined the regional development effects of displacement during the Balkan Wars. These case studies underscored the ongoing relevance of forced migration as a global economic challenge.
Health and reintegration emerged as another key theme. Research on postwar Japan, for example, investigated how repatriation influenced the spread of infectious diseases, illustrating the complex public health dimensions of population return movements.
Several papers focused on the long-term structural effects of migration. Presentations covered industrial development in postwar Germany, the relationship between civil war and migration over the past two centuries, and the economic consequences of population movements across Cold War borders between Italy and Yugoslavia.
“By bringing together diverse perspectives, the workshop aimed to deepen understanding of how forced migration shapes economies over time. The discussions highlighted not only the immediate disruptions caused by displacement, but also the enduring legacies that can persist across generations”, Anna Missiaia, Senior Lecturer in Economic History and one of the local organizers " with " says Anna Missiaia, Senior Lecturer in Economic History and one of the two local organizers together with researcher Luka Miladinovic
The event was organized by the Unit for Economic History at the Department of Economy and Society, School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.