Population Dynamics and Migration

Examining the myriad factors that influence population size and structure, from education and economic growth, to migration and social interventions

Research, commentary, and events

Project
Human security and the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept
15 Jun 2022

RAND Europe brought together over forty experts from across military, government, academia, think tanks, and civil society for a seminar to explore the concept of human security and its applications at NATO now and in the future.
Project
How the Dutch approached Brexit
17 May 2022

Britain's departure from the EU, or Brexit, has had a considerable impact for the Netherlands. Researchers are conducting an independent evaluation of the Dutch government's response to Brexit.
Essay
Tracking Migration Amid War and Disease
28 Apr 2022

Researchers from RAND and RAND Europe have been working on a way to better track migrant numbers, country by country and state by state, in almost real time. They do it by tapping into one of the largest information-gathering operations on the planet, Facebook.
Project
Using social media data to ‘nowcast’ migration around the globe
16 Dec 2021

Because official statistics can be delayed or fail to correctly capture the full extent of migration, making informed policy decisions can be a challenge. Researchers developed an approach to compute near-real-time migration estimates for Europe and the United States using social media data.
Project
Assessing the economic value of illicit markets in the EU
22 Mar 2021

The aggregate annual revenues of the nine main criminal markets in the EU ranged from €92 to €188 billion in 2019, according to research that examined the scale, actors, modus operandi and trends in these markets.
Project
How, and how much, do migrants use UK health services?
30 Mar 2020

Recent arrivals to the UK use the NHS significantly less than the UK-born population, though the difference narrows when adjusted for age and self-assessed health. However, more work is needed to provide insights to policy makers on migrant use of the NHS, their health needs, and the quality of health care received.
Project
Measuring migration using big data
12 Dec 2019

Researchers from five organisations collaborated in an effort to use social media data to develop models for estimating real-time migration flows and stocks of migrants in the EU. They were successful in applying a groundbreaking migrant stock model, but the approach for estimating EU mobility flows remains a work in progress.
Project
International comparison of consular services
21 Nov 2019

To help the Dutch government identify best practices for consular services, researchers compared the the support different countries provide to their citizens abroad. The insights may help the Netherlands identify innovative practices, procedures and ways of organising their consular services.
Project
Evaluation of the Southwark and Lambeth Integrated Care Older People's Programme
22 Mar 2019

Researchers assessed changes in hospital utilisation following implementation of case management interventions in two boroughs of south London, in comparison to similar populations elsewhere. They found that the additional investment made through the programme cost more than it saved, possibly through the identification of unmet need.
Project
Exploring Community-Based Social Innovations (CBSIs) for Healthy Ageing
05 Feb 2019

Researchers examined how CBSIs function across a number of rapidly ageing countries. They documented the policies, programmes and health system factors underpinning their success and provided recommendations for implementing policies and the CBSIs themselves.
Commentary
Making Education a Reality for All Children in Europe
04 Oct 2018

Access to education is a fundamental children's right in the EU and is guaranteed under a variety of legal and policy frameworks. Despite many approaches and initiatives adopted across the EU, a number of challenges remain concerning the development of effective long-term education measures for migrant children.
Project
Understanding barriers to international mobility for researchers
18 Sep 2018

International travel can help researchers work better together, but it has its challenges. RAND Europe surveyed researchers to gain a better understanding of their experiences of travelling for work and how that varies internationally.
Commentary
Is Macron Set to 'Take Back Control' of UK-France Border After Brexit?
17 Jan 2018

As French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in London for the 35th UK-France Summit, there is growing French discomfort with arrangements at the UK-France border. The UK's decision to leave the European Union has added new urgency to this already fraught debate.
Project
Understanding Private Sector Researcher Mobility
28 Sep 2017

The UK is an attractive place to work for researchers in the private sector, but Britain's decision to leave the EU has led to concerns from industry around access to talent, staff retention, and research funding.
Commentary
How Innovation Can Assist the Refugee 'Pathway'
27 Jun 2017

New ways to collaborate and coordinate humanitarian actions are needed so that refugees, host communities, and other stakeholders are empowered to create and spread innovative solutions. These efforts should consider the entire refugee pathway, not only emergency and arrival assistance.
Commentary
Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers
05 May 2017

Mobility has become an even higher priority for researchers since the results of the UK’s EU referendum, Brexit. To continue to attract and keep top talent, the UK needs to understand how and why researchers move between countries.
Project
Understanding the Mobility of Public Sector and Academic Researchers
04 May 2017

A study for the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, determined that professional motivations are the main drivers of academic and public sector researcher mobility, and most such researchers feel there is an expectation that they be internationally mobile.
Essay
Migrant Crisis in the Mediterranean: What You Need to Know
02 May 2017

The countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are facing unprecedented stress. A former lieutenant with the Italian Navy is now a RAND researcher, working to help others appreciate the scope of the crisis.
Project
Mediterranean Foresight Forum
26 Jan 2017

The Mediterranean Foresight Forum (MFF) was a RAND-funded effort to monitor current affairs, analyse future scenarios and simulate policy options to support the implementation of comprehensive responses to complex challenges in the Mediterranean region.
Commentary
Why Being a Migrant Is Not the Biggest Barrier to Education in Europe
31 Oct 2016

Migrant students tend to have lower performance and are more likely to leave school early. But factors other than migrant status, such as language barriers, can explain these differences.