GeoMatch

Photo credit: Fishman64 via Shutterstock.com

Using AI to Increase Integration for Refugees and Immigrants.

About the Technology

Over 280 million migrants are on the move today worldwide. Some are refugees forced to flee persecution in their home countries. Others are economic migrants seeking better opportunities abroad. All are faced with making challenging and life-altering decisions. Perhaps the most critical question: Where will they have the best chance at starting a new life?

Photo of Researcher Looking at Geomatch platform on a monitor — Photo Credit: GeoMatch Inventors

At the Immigration Policy Lab, we’ve developed an algorithm (GeoMatch) that combines insights from big data with the expertise of resettlement and migration service providers and governments, to help match migrants to the locations where they are most likely to thrive.

GeoMatch is based on the realization that place matters: where a migrant or refugee resettles can greatly influence how well they integrate into their destination community. Synergies between geography and personal characteristics allow us to build models that predict which places will be a good fit or a bad fit. Using data to inform decisions in the migration process empowers immigrants and creates positive benefits for immigrants and communities alike. GeoMatch is a cost-effective tool that allows governments and societies to maximize the social and economic benefits of immigration while mitigating its potential harms and backlash.

The Immigration Policy Lab is testing the tool in Switzerland and the United States, and additional versions are also being developed in Canada and the Netherlands. Through support of the HIT Fund, we’re gaining a better understanding of how to create a sustainable business model, identify future markets for expansion, and deliver our technology to partners and end-users.