A Comparison of Migrant Integration Policies via Mixture of Matrix-Normals

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in comparative studies about migrant integration, assimilation and the evaluation of policies implemented for these purposes. Over the years, the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) has become a reference on these topics. This index measures and evaluates the policies of migrants’ integration in 52 countries over time. However, the comparison of very different countries can be difficult and, if not well conducted, can lead to misleading interpretations and evaluations of the results. The aim of this paper is to improve this comparison and facilitate the reading of the considered phenomenon, by applying a Mixture of Matrix-Normals classification model for longitudinal data. Focusing on data for 7 MIPEX dimensions from 2014 to 2019, our analysis identify 5 clusters of countries, facilitating the evaluation and the comparison of the countries within each cluster and between different clusters.