Characterization of internal migrant behavior in the immediate post-migration period using cell phone traces

Lingzi Hong, Jiahui Wu, Enrique Frías-Martínez, Andrés Villarreal, Vanessa Frías-Martínez

Abstract: Internal migrations have been studied using two types of approaches: macro-level and micro-level analyses. Macro-level studies are typically carried out using a combination of various survey and census datasets to model large-scale behaviors, however these models fail to provide more nuanced information about the physical or social status of the migrants. Micro approaches, which successfully use interviews and diaries to provide a window into more individual behaviors, could benefit from methods to identify novel or under-studied behaviors that should be addressed in the migration research agenda. In this paper, we present a framework that uses information extracted from cell phone metadata to reveal internal migration behaviors that could guide or complement the research agenda of micro-level migration researchers working to understand the physical, social and psychological decision processes behind migration experiences. The proposed framework allows to carry out micro-level analyses of internal migration with a focus on immediate post-migration behaviors and the role of pre-migration activities from two perspectives: spatial behaviors and social ties. Ultimately, we expect our analyses to inform migration researchers of pre- and post-migration behaviors that would benefit from further qualitative analysis.