Migrants at Sea: Unintended Consequences of Search and Rescue Operations
研究了2013年欧洲加强地中海搜救行动后，走私者改用劣质船只并在恶劣天气出海，导致危险渡海增加，抵消了安全收益，但整体上仍提高了移民福利。
Many countries are facing and resisting strong migratory pressure, fueling irregular migration. In response to mounting deaths in the Central Mediterranean, European nations intensified rescue operations in 2013. We develop a model of irregular migration to identify the effects of these operations. We find that smugglers responded by sending boats in adverse weather and utilizing flimsy rafts, thus inducing more crossings in dangerous conditions and ultimately offsetting intended safety benefits due to moral hazard. Despite the increased risk, these operations likely increased aggregate migrant welfare; nevertheless, a more successful policy should instead restrict supply of rafts and expand legal alternatives.