Has the World Become Smaller for Migrants? The Border and Distance Puzzles in Migration

Glenn Rayp; Ilse Ruyssen

Article

Has the World Become Smaller for Migrants? The Border and Distance Puzzles in Migration

This open-access paper investigates whether the well-documented border and distance puzzles in trade also apply to international migration.

Date Published: 20 Oct 2026

Authors: Glenn Rayp Ilse Ruyssen

Journal: Review of International Economics, 1-20

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Using a gravity model framework, we explore the evolving role of borders and distance as barriers to migration in a globalized world. Our approach accounts for internal migration, addresses multilateral resistance to migration in alternative ways, and incorporates network effects along with international trade, investment and labour mobility agreements. The analysis covers a comprehensive dataset of bilateral migration flows and internal mobility for over 16.000 country pairs from 1995 to 2020. The results show that while the distance effect on migration has diminished over time, consistent with the reduction of frictions in a globalized world, the border puzzle persists, with borders continuing to act as significant barriers to migration. Sensitivity tests using alternative dependent variables, such as migration stocks and rates, confirm the robustness of these findings. The general gravity model, which accounts for origin and destination-specific nests, provides a better fit and appears to resolve the distance puzzle by capturing the complexities of multilateral resistance to migration. However, the persistence of the border effect highlights the ongoing relevance of international borders in shaping global migration flows.

1 Introduction

In an era of increasing globalization, where technology, communication, and transportation have seemingly made the world smaller, one might assume that geographical barriers have become less significant for migration. The ability to access information, stay connected across borders, and physically move between countries has certainly been enhanced, leading to discussions of the so-called ‘death of distance’ in various contexts. In trade, for instance, the costs associated with geographical distance have steadily decreased. But can the same be said for migration? Have globalization's forces similarly diminished the significance of borders and distance for migrants, or do these factors remain substantial barriers to the movement of people?