Previous research on migrant residential location has shown the relevance of gateway cities, and ethnic and socioeconomic neighbourhood characteristics on the first location choice. However, only few studies were able to follow individuals after their arrival and look at their internal relocation dynamics in a longitudinal perspective.

Based on the Swiss context, this research aims at identifying the location choices of new migrants and their internal mobility patterns, in relation with both individual and contextual factors. We use Swiss population registers to map residential trajectories of a cohort of the 82’000 foreigner who immigrated for the first time in Switzerland in 2010 and were still living in the country in 2014.

In a first part, we estimate in which context do new immigrant settle and how individual characteristics affect the destination choice. Using individual geocoded residence, we define the context according the characteristics of the k-nearest neighbours (origin, income, household composition, etc.). This approach allows analysing spatial concentration in a multi scalar way. Second, whereas most of the research has considered migration as a unique and definitive event, we look at the multiple internal migrations of the new immigrants and determine which factors are associated with an internal relocation within the 4 years under study. Third, considering the multiple internal movers, we will assess how individual, and contextual factors are related to the new environment choice.

This study contributes firstly to multiple internal mobility literature in assessing the settling dynamics of a cohort of foreigners. Secondly, it allows a better understanding on the location choices between migrant groups and socioeconomic status at the neighborhood and city levels. Thirdly, considering life cycle variables and socioeconomic characteristics, this approach will bring new insights into the life course paradigm of spatial assimilation.