Has Migration Been Beneficial for Migrants and TheirChildren?

The study compares the social mobility and status attainment of first-andsecond-generation Turks in nine Western European countries with those of WesternEuropean natives and with those of Turks in Turkey. It shows that the childrenof low-class migrants are more likely to acquire a higher education than theircounterparts in Turkey, making them more educationally mobile. Moreover, theysuccessfully convert this education in the Western European labor market, andare upwardly mobile relative to the first generation. When comparing labormarket outcomes of second generations relative to Turks in Turkey, however, theresults show that the same level of education leads to a higher occupation inTurkey. The implications of these findings are discussed.