BACKGROUND
Longitudinal micro-level data on international migration behavior is notoriously
difficult to collect, but data collection efforts have become more frequent in recent
years. However, comparative research on the patterns and processes of international
migration remains quite rare, especially that which compares across regions.
OBJECTIVE
We highlight the promises and difficulties of comparative international migration
research, by offering a detailed comparison of two prominent data collection efforts.
METHODS
We systematically review existing sources of longitudinal and quasi-longitudinal
individual-level and household-level data on international migration. We then compare
two widely used data sources: the Mexican Migration Project (MMP) and the Migration
between Africa and Europe project (MAFE).
RESULTS
Data collection efforts are increasingly diverse, yet public accessibility to data remains
limited. Also, comparability of data collected across settings can be complicated. In our
MMP-MAFE analysis we show some ways in which comparability can be achieved.
CONCLUSIONS
A primary roadblock to international comparative research is that, with some
exceptions, the public accessibility of data remains low. Even when data is public and
surveys are modeled after one another, comparability is not easy due to necessary tradeoffs
in adapting surveys to local settings and to developments in the field.