Human migration networks and policy interventions: bringing population distributions in line with system optimization

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate that, through policy interventions, in the form of subsidies, a system‐optimum for a multiclass human migration network can be achieved, despite the migrants, who can be refugees, behaving in a user‐optimized manner. The formulation and analysis are conducted using variational inequality theory. The policy intervention allows governmental decision‐makers to moderate the flow of migrants while enhancing societal welfare. An algorithm is proposed and applied to compute the solutions to a series of numerical examples, with changes in initial populations and utility functions, inspired by a pandemic, followed by a natural disaster.

Supply chain game theory network modeling under labor constraints: Applications to the Covid-19 pandemic

“…Some have died, whereas others have not been able to secure permission to travel in time to harvest this perishable product. Interestingly, although operations researchers have been tackling human migration networks for several decades now, it is only recently that regulations have been incorporated in such network-based models (see, e.g., Nagurney & Daniele, 2021 and Nagurney, Daniele, & Cappello, 2021 ). Here we focus on seasonal migrants, rather than those who wish to relocate permanently to new locations.…”

Attracting international migrant labor: Investment optimization to alleviate supply chain labor shortages

“…In addition, the contributions in this paper add to the growing literature on network models of human migration using the theory of variational inequalities (cf. [21] , [23] , [24] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] ) but with significant differences in that here we use wages to be earned as a proxy for utility and also include supply chain network aspects, since we are focusing on labor migration. Such models are all mathematical models, as is the model in this paper.…”

“…This paper aims to integrate and advance two streams of literature, which have received significant attention in the pandemic: that of incorporating labor into supply chain network modeling, analysis, and computations (see [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] ) and problems of human migration, which have been exacerbated under COVID-19 (cf. [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] ). Specifically, in this paper, we construct a supply chain network optimization model that captures the profit-maximizing behavior of a firm with respect to its supply chain network activities of production at multiple sites, the transport of the product to multiple storage sites, the storage at these facilities, and, finally, the ultimate distribution of the product to multiple points of demand.…”

Modeling of Covid‐19 trade measures on essential products: a multiproduct, multicountry spatial price equilibrium framework

“…A related research stream that focuses on the movement of people, rather than products, in which regulations have also been incorporated into a network modeling equilibrium framework, is that on human migration (see Nagurney et al., 2020; Nagurney et al., 2021). In such human migration models, there are utility functions associated with different classes of migrants and origin and destination nodes, rather than supply and demand price functions.…”