Placement Optimization in Refugee Resettlement
(2018) In Working Papers- Abstract
- Every year thousands of refugees are resettled to dozens of host countries. While there is growing evidence that the initial placement of refugee families profoundly affects their lifetime outcomes, there have been few attempts to optimize resettlement destinations. We integrate machine learning and integer optimization technologies into an innovative software tool that assists a resettlement agency in the United States with matching refugees to their initial placements. Our software suggests optimal placements while giving substantial autonomy for the resettlement staff to fine-tune recommended matches. Initial back-testing indicates that Annie can improve short-run employment outcomes by 22%-37%. We discuss several directions for future... (More)
- Every year thousands of refugees are resettled to dozens of host countries. While there is growing evidence that the initial placement of refugee families profoundly affects their lifetime outcomes, there have been few attempts to optimize resettlement destinations. We integrate machine learning and integer optimization technologies into an innovative software tool that assists a resettlement agency in the United States with matching refugees to their initial placements. Our software suggests optimal placements while giving substantial autonomy for the resettlement staff to fine-tune recommended matches. Initial back-testing indicates that Annie can improve short-run employment outcomes by 22%-37%. We discuss several directions for future work such as incorporating multiple objectives from additional integration outcomes, dealing with equity concerns, evaluating potential new locations for resettlement, managing quota in a dynamic fashion, and eliciting refugee preferences. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/b603b044-5612-463f-9edf-350acbeec269
- author
- Trapp, Andrew C. ; Teytelboym, Alexander ; Martinello, Alessandro LU ; Andersson, Tommy LU and Ahani, Narges
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018
- type
- Working paper/Preprint
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Refugee Resettlement, Matching, Integer Optimization, Machine Learning, Humanitarian Operations, C44, C55, C61, C78, F22, J61
- in
- Working Papers
- issue
- 2018:23
- pages
- 36 pages
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b603b044-5612-463f-9edf-350acbeec269
- date added to LUP
- 2018-10-03 13:27:32
- date last changed
- 2024-09-10 00:44:46
@misc{b603b044-5612-463f-9edf-350acbeec269, abstract = {{Every year thousands of refugees are resettled to dozens of host countries. While there is growing evidence that the initial placement of refugee families profoundly affects their lifetime outcomes, there have been few attempts to optimize resettlement destinations. We integrate machine learning and integer optimization technologies into an innovative software tool that assists a resettlement agency in the United States with matching refugees to their initial placements. Our software suggests optimal placements while giving substantial autonomy for the resettlement staff to fine-tune recommended matches. Initial back-testing indicates that Annie can improve short-run employment outcomes by 22%-37%. We discuss several directions for future work such as incorporating multiple objectives from additional integration outcomes, dealing with equity concerns, evaluating potential new locations for resettlement, managing quota in a dynamic fashion, and eliciting refugee preferences.}}, author = {{Trapp, Andrew C. and Teytelboym, Alexander and Martinello, Alessandro and Andersson, Tommy and Ahani, Narges}}, keywords = {{Refugee Resettlement; Matching; Integer Optimization; Machine Learning; Humanitarian Operations; C44; C55; C61; C78; F22; J61}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Working Paper}}, number = {{2018:23}}, series = {{Working Papers}}, title = {{Placement Optimization in Refugee Resettlement}}, url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/194855430/WP18_23.pdf}}, year = {{2018}}, }