Research

Using survey experiments in six countries, we find that immigrant students are judged as less deserving of financial aid than natives. High-achieving immigrants can overcome this penalty, but working harder does not help. The immigrant penalty is driven by right-wing voters, while left-leaning respondents treat immigrants equally.

Evaluating a cash transfer ( $190) to vulnerable Venezuelan immigrants in Peru, we find that the intervention improves overall integration by 0.12–0.28 standard deviations, driven by gains in economic, social, and navigational dimensions. The cash transfer also boosts self-employment by 2–5 percentage points, with self-employed beneficiaries achieving higher income gains than wage workers. Effects diminish sharply with household size, highlighting the need for household-adjusted payments.