Global Dynamics

Chapter 5Global Migration Modelling: A Review of Key Policy Needs and Research Centres

Adam Dennett and Pablo Mateos

5.1 Introduction

Policies are an important element of international migration research and provide the context – indeed in part the purpose – for model-based research and analysis. Policies may seek to address specific issues such as the integration of migrants, but in most cases they can be boiled down to limiting the flows of some types of migrant or encouraging the flows of others. Judging the impact of both migration flows and migration policy can only be done effectively with good information, but too often data on migration are poor and thus the evidence base lacking. This chapter assesses some of the migration and policy issues, which are currently relevant, before examining where the modelling work being undertaken can help strengthen the evidence base available in order that better policy decisions are made. A directory of international migration research centres and the work they are undertaking is provided in an extensive appendix.

International migration is a perennial research interest to academics across the world. The €28 million NORFACE research programme on migration (http://www.norface-migration.org) is one such reflection of the continuing desire to understand the global patterns, processes and effects of the human population moving around the globe. The inaugural conference for the research programme titled ‘Migration: Economic Change, Social ...