Out-Migration and Local Network Structure in Senegal

Niklas Murken , University of Potsdam
Bernd Beber, RWI
Cara Ebert, RWI
Zara Riaz, London School of Economics

Out-migration is a common feature of rural life in the Global South, yet its impact on social networks in origin communities remains underexplored. Using original data on nearly 10,000 households across 145 villages in Senegal, this paper provides descriptive evidence linking household migration status with social network centrality in sending areas. We find that both short-term and long-term migrant households maintain significantly more local social connec- tions than non-migrant households, and are widely perceived as network hubs. This increased connectivity is not solely attributable to economic resources, but appears driven by non-material factors such as access to migration-related information and the social prestige associated with migration. These findings highlight the role of migrant households as influential actors within their home communities and suggest they may be effective targets for interventions aimed at disseminating political or development-related information. By shifting focus from destination to origin-area networks, the paper contributes to a broader understanding of migration’s social impacts and informs strategies for policy outreach in rural contexts.

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 Presented in Session 62. Social and Wellbeing Implications of Mobility