Researchers have developed an algorithm to match refugees arriving in the US with the city where they are most likely to find employment and a good quality of life.
Developed by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, Lund University in Sweden, and the University of Oxford in the UK, the algorithm aims to direct new arrivals to the US to the places where they are likely to have the best chance of success.
Algorithm increases chances of finding work
Placing refugees using Annie MOORE (Matching and Outcome Optimisation for Refugee Empowerment) can significantly improve people's chances of finding work within three months by more than 20 per cent, the group of researchers found.
"Refugee resettlement is a complex humanitarian problem that cannot be solved with a single quick-fix," said lead researcher and professor of economics at Oxford University, Alex Teytelboym. "The manual resettlement process was riddled with issues, not least the sheer volume of cases that are processed each week ? we are talking hundreds," he continued.
"This does not give the organisations enough time to thoroughly think about where and why they place a refugee family."
Software uses data from previous placements
The software uses a matching algorithm that was developed using machine learning to recommend suitable places, based on a number of variables including their health, age, education levels and the languages they speak.
It bases these decis...