Abstract:
Academics and policy makers require a better understanding of the variation of
policies that regulate global migration, asylum and immigrant naturalization. At present,
however, there is no comprehensive cross-national, time-series database of such policies,
rendering the analysis of policy trends across and within these areas difficult at best. Several
new immigration databases and indices have been developed in recent years. However, there is no consensus on how best to conceptualize, measure and aggregate migration policy
indicators to allow for meaningful comparisons through time and across space. This article
discusses these methodological challenges and introduces practical solutions that involve
historical, multi-dimensional, disaggregated and transparent conceptualizing, measuring and
compiling of cross-national immigration policies. Such an approach informs the International
Migration Policy and Law Analysis (IMPALA) database.
Description:
This is the pre-peer-reviewed version of the following article: Gest, J., Boucher, A., Challen, S., Burgoon, B., Thielemann, E., Beine, M., McGovern, P., Crock, M., Rapoport, H. and Hiscox, M. (2014), Measuring and Comparing Immigration, Asylum and Naturalization Policies Across Countries: Challenges and Solutions. Global Policy, 5: 261–274. doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12132 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1758-5899.12132/full.
