Principles and State of the Art of Agent-Based Migration Modelling

Abstract

AbstractMigration as an individual behaviour as well as a macro-level phenomenon happens as part of hugely complex social systems. Understanding migration and its consequences therefore necessitates adopting a careful analytical approach using appropriate tools, such as agent-based models. Still, any model can only be specific to the question it attempts to answer. This chapter provides a general discussion of the key tenets related to modelling complex systems, followed by a review of the current state of the art in the simulation modelling of migration. The subsequent focus of the discussion on the key principles for modelling migration processes, and the context in which they occur, allows for identifying the main knowledge gaps in the existing approaches and for providing practical advice for modellers. In this chapter, we also introduce a model of migration route formation, which is subsequently used as a running example throughout this book.