International migration under the microscope

Abstract

International migration affects all countries of the world. It is anticipated that in an increasingly interconnected world, migration will increase. People migrate for various reasons ranging from pursuing a better life to reuniting with families to escaping war and natural disaster. While progress has been made in understanding the drivers of migration, there is still much to be learned to monitor and predict migration flows. We do not know how many people leave their country to settle elsewhere, either temporarily or permanently, and we know little about these migrants. The impact of migration on the individual and on sending and receiving communities and countries is only partly understood. The economic effects can be very different from the impacts on society and culture. We advocate a comprehensive approach to the study of migration that involves (a) better measurement, (b) greater insight into factors and actors that either initiate migration flows or perpetuate and reinforce flows, (c) greater insight into the emergence of migration systems, i.e. systems linking people, families and communities in different countries, (d) greater insight into the consequences of migration for the individual, communities and society at large, and (e) much better performance in predicting migration flows and migrant characteristics. The lack of knowledge creates huge systemic risks and uncertainties and frustrates the formation of effective policies. In this contribution, we review what we know and what we should know. We conclude with priorities for data collection, research and training.

Prospects for the comparative study of international migration using quasi-longitudinal micro-data

“…We have highlighted some of the challenges facing scholars of international migration (Willekens et al 2016). Despite recent calls to collect multi-sited quantitative data (Beauchemin 2014), we expose other concerns in terms of longitudinal micro-data about international migration.…”

“…In this paper, we respond to a recent call for a comprehensive and disciplinary-boundary crossing approach to international migration research, published in Science (Willekens et al 2016), and argue that the comparative study of international migration is necessary for understanding migration’s causes and consequences. We outline the prospects of such study by primarily focusing on international migration between less-developed and more-developed countries 5 (UNPD 2013), which represent from nearly one-third (Abel and Sanders 2014) to 53% (Ratha and Shaw 2007) of the international migrant stocks in the world.…”

“…Compared to many other life events and transitions of interest in the social sciences, data on migration – especially that of international migration – is notoriously difficult and costly to collect (Black and Skeldon 2009, Willekens et al 2016) and use (Beauchemin and Schoumaker 2014, Riosmena 2016). Migrants, by definition, are on the move and thus elusive.…”

Promises and Pitfalls of Using Digital Traces for Demographic Research

“…Interest in the use of digital trace data among demographers is growing, as evidenced by multiple sessions in recent Population Association of America (PAA) meetings (Blumenstock and Toomet 2014; Cesare et al 2015; Kashyap et al 2017; Massey 2016; Mateos and Durand 2014; Reeder et al 2014; Rosello and Filgueira 2016; Williams et al 2015; Zagheni et al 2017); recent publications (Blumenstock 2012; Blumenstock and Eagle 2012; Malik and Pfeffer 2016; Mendieta et al 2016; Palmer et al 2013; Stevenson 2014; Willekens et al 2016; Zagheni and Weber 2012; Zagheni et al 2014); and special issues of relevant social science journals, such as Social Science Research . Big Data research appears within the journal Demography as well, as illustrated by Barry’s (2006) analysis of interracial friendship using wedding photos posted online and Palmer et al’s (2013) work on spatial mobility with data collected via a smartphone app.…”

Transformation Of Research Programmes On Migrants' Communication Strategies

“…The most optimistic ones view it as the most important manifestation of progress in the various areas of public life and an imperative of modern society, while others perceive it as a threat (Dijstelbloem & Broeders, 2015). The transformation of migration flows into a large-scale phenomenon affecting all aspects of the world community life has boosted interest in international migration on the part of scientific community, statesmen and politicians, as well as general public (Willekens et al, 2016;Massey, 2012).…”