This paper deals with the ethical dimensions of the economics of migration. The first section presents the main research topics found in the economics of migration around three questions: Why do people move? Which kinds of people are moving? What are the consequences for countries of origin, transit and, above all, destination? The section summarises the main methods used and briefly addresses influential controversies. The second section deals with ethical issues in the economics of migration. It identifies normative presuppositions at work in economic research, especially in its attempt to evaluate the impact of migration. Self-reflectivity requires the consideration of at least four distinct levels: subject matter, institutional frame, temporal frame and personal frame. The third section addresses, conversely, the use of economic arguments in the ethics of migration. It highlights two main issues: the use of economic arguments for the sake of justifying the state’s competence to control immigration (as part of protection arguments) and their use for the promotion of free movement in the context of reflections on global justice. The paper concludes by outlining promising synergies for ethicists in engaging more deeply with economists’ work on migration. With regard to the importance of these economic insights for public discourses, ethicists have a vested interest in better anchoring their ethical expertise within economic research.