Refugee Allocation Mechanisms: Theory and Applications for the European Union

Abstract

We study a relocation problem which consists of allocating a given number of refugees -- who are heterogeneous with respect to country of origin and characteristics such as gender, age or educational level -- from Greece to other European Union countries which have pledged to accept a certain number of refugees. To study this problem, we developed a conceptual framework consisting of three allocation methods: sequential multi-agent resource allocation, simultaneous allocation, and two-stage allocation. In these methods we incorporate preferences by assuming that the destination countries have their own preferences regarding refugee characteristics, but that they also try to consider the refugees' preferences for the destination countries. While these methods vary in design and execution, all three aim to create a more equitable allocation methodology for both the refugees and the destination countries. These methods could also be applied to other similar types of allocation problems.