Exploring the spatial relatedness network of the global system of international migration

Abstract

The global geography of international migration has a complex pattern that emerges from the distinct spatial distributions of many individual migrant groups. To visualise this structure, we use the spatial relatedness network of the global international migration system. Unlike traditional spatial networks based on real spatial interactions, spatial relatedness networks are based on possible relationships which are determined as a degree of agreement between the maps of the analysed phenomena. In this paper, the spatial relatedness network of the global migration system is conceptualised as an undirected network in which nodes represent individual migrant groups defined by the country of origin, and links between nodes correspond to their spatial relatedness in terms of similarity in their spatial distributions. We describe the construction of the network and explore some of its properties such as the clustering of migrant groups that share similar positions in the global migration system, signifying distinct spatial regimes of migrants’ destination choices.