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

  • Puzzle with flags of Netherlands and the UK, photo by luzitanija/Adobe Stock

    Project

    How the Dutch approached Brexit

    An independent evaluation of the Dutch response to the UK withdrawal from the European Union found that the Netherlands fared well in negotiations and preparations, but Brexit's total costs to the Netherlands remain unclear.

    19 Dec 2022

  • Afghanistan National Army 1st Sgt. Najibullah Bakht Beland addresses the concerns of local elders near the first observation post 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, set up in Southern Shorshork, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation New Dawn, photo by Sgt. Mark Fayloga, USMC/Public Domain

    Project

    Human security and the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept

    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.

    15 Jun 2022

  • Ukrainian refugees arrive at the Przemysl, Poland, train station, March 3, 2022, photo by Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/Alamy

    Essay

    Tracking Migration Amid War and Disease

    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.

    28 Apr 2022

  • Social media network and remote work illustration, photo by peshkov/Adobe Stock

    Project

    Using social media data to ‘nowcast’ migration around the globe

    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.

    16 Dec 2021

  • A pack of banknotes in hand with a face value of five hundred euros, photo by Evgeny Savchenko/Adobe Stock.

    Project

    Assessing the economic value of illicit markets in the EU

    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.

    22 Mar 2021

  • Elderly patient waiting for a doctor in hospital, photo by pongmoji/Adobe Stock

    Project

    How, and how much, do migrants use UK health services?

    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.

    30 Mar 2020

  • Abstract globe with blue lights and networks, photo by imaginima/Getty Images

    Project

    Measuring migration using big data

    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.

    12 Dec 2019

  • Embassy of the Netherlands in Maputo, photo by Jcornelius/CC BY-SA 3.0

    Project

    International comparison of consular services

    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.

    21 Nov 2019

  • Elderly man unloading the dishwasher

    Project

    Evaluation of the Southwark and Lambeth Integrated Care Older People's Programme

    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.

    22 Mar 2019

  • Two happy elderly women sitting on a bench outdoors using earphones to listen to music on their smart phones

    Project

    Exploring Community-Based Social Innovations (CBSIs) for Healthy Ageing

    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.

    05 Feb 2019

  • Children of a welcome class for migrants attend a German language lesson at the Catholic Sankt Franziskus school in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2016

    Commentary

    Making Education a Reality for All Children in Europe

    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.

    04 Oct 2018

  • Room with moving boxes and luggage

    Project

    Understanding barriers to international mobility for researchers

    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.

    18 Sep 2018

  • A French gendarme stands guard near a line of lorries as migrants wait in bushes in the hopes of boarding a truck to make their way across the Channel to Britain, near Calais, France, Janaury 21, 2016

    Commentary

    Is Macron Set to 'Take Back Control' of UK-France Border After Brexit?

    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.

    17 Jan 2018

  • Multiethnic group of people in a research meeting

    Project

    Understanding Private Sector Researcher Mobility

    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.

    28 Sep 2017

  • Syrian refugee Omayma al Hushan (2nd R), 14, who launched an initiative against child marriage among Syrian refugees, and her friends rehearse a play about it at a school in Al Zaatari refugee camp, Mafraq, Jordan, April 21, 2016

    Commentary

    How Innovation Can Assist the Refugee 'Pathway'

    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.

    27 Jun 2017

  • Sign with arrows pointing direction to the United Kingdom

    Commentary

    Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers

    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.

    05 May 2017

  • Scientists of South Wales Immunology display flags of their home countries

    Project

    Understanding the Mobility of Public Sector and Academic Researchers

    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.

    04 May 2017

  • Refugees, who were rescued in international waters off the Libyan coast, are transferred from one boat to another, December 2016

    Essay

    Migrant Crisis in the Mediterranean: What You Need to Know

    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.

    02 May 2017

  • Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive from Turkey to Skala Sykamias, Lesbos island, Greece, where Spanish volunteers help them in October 2015

    Project

    Mediterranean Foresight Forum

    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.

    26 Jan 2017

  • A teacher conducts a German lesson for children of a welcome class for immigrants from Syria, Egypt, and South Korea at the Katharina-Heinroth primary school in Berlin, Germany, September 11, 2015

    Commentary

    Why Being a Migrant Is Not the Biggest Barrier to Education in Europe

    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.

    31 Oct 2016