Marge Fauvelle and Ayima Okeeva (UNECE) Main results of the UNECE Questionnaire on International Migration Statistics and “difficult-to-measure” migrant groups Marge Fauvelle and Ayima Okeeva (UNECE)

Objectives of the Questionnaire To review how national statistical offices (NSOs) define migrant stocks and migration flows To build a crosswalk between definitions and sources used by different countries To obtain a preliminary glimpse of data quality from the various sources and for the different population groups To collect information on practices and methodologies used to define and estimate “difficult to measure” international migrant groups.

Structure of the Questionnaire 1. Entire Populations 1a. Stocks of International Migrants Questions for 9 types of data source relating to UNECE definitions of population groups 1b. Flows of International Migrants Immigrants: - Data sources; duration of stay; coverage (legal status); data adjustments/revisions/corrections. Emigrants: - Data sources; duration of stay; coverage (legal status); data adjustments/revisions/corrections Both: - Population balancing equation 2. Hard to Measure migrant groups Scope, definitions and methodologies used by countries to measure/estimate

Participation and Response Number of countries mailed = 58 Number of responses 43 UNECE countries + 7 others = 50 Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia: 8 South-Eastern Europe: 5 European Union 25 EFTA: 2 Mediterranean: America and Oceania:

8 Definitions of population sub-groups “Foreign born” “Foreigners” “Descendents” “Persons with foreign background” “Ever international migrants” “Returned citizens” “Members of ethnic groups” or “Other” (where respondents were asked to specify the reference group).

9 Data Sources Population Registers Foreigners Registers Residence/Stay Permits Other Administrative Sources Last Census Next Census Household Survey Other Household/Sample Survey Other Sources

Frequency/prevalence of data sources Number of data sources reported by countries Average number of data sources reported by groups of countries 3 5 13 16 6 2 10 15 20 8 sources 7 sources 6 sources 5 sources 4 sources 3 sources 2 sources 4.8 5.3 4.5 3.6 4.4 4.2 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 ALL REGIONS EU+EFTA EECCA SEE Mediterranean America +Oceania

Immigrant Stocks (i) Most common sources  No.s of countries replying Latest Census Future Census Household Sample Survey Residence/stay permits Population register Population groups Exists in 49 countries Exists in 48 countries Exists in 35 countries Exists in 34 countries Exists in 27 countries Def°n comply Data on group Foreign born 36 42 33 45 17 26 7 8 18 20 Foreigners 32 40 43 15 19 23 Descendents 4 6 13 3 1 2 Foreign background 5 12 Ever intl. migrant 14 25 Returned 28   Ethnic groups Other  

Immigrant Stocks (ii) Least common sources     Foreigners Register Other Administrative source Other Survey Other Source No.s of countries replying Exists in 19 countries Exists in 15 countries Exists in 12 countries Exists in 7 countries Def°n comply Data on group Foreign born 3 4 5 9 Foreigners 8 12 10 6 Descendents 2 1 Foreign background Ever migrant Returned Ethnic groups Other

Immigrant Stocks (iii) Length of stay  

Immigrant Stocks (v) Hard to measure groups Data Source Irregular Institutionalised Refugee Asylum applicant Schengen Dependent Minor Diplomatic Other Pop Reg 2 21 17 6 16 19 5 For Reg 10 11 7 4 1 Res Permit 14 15 20 3 Other Admin 8 12 Last Census 27   38 31 Next Census 24 40 9 Hhold Survey 18 Other Survey Other Source

Emigrant Stocks Who is using which type of data source?   Number of countries Which countries? Population register 9 Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia Census (2000) 8 Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Palestine, Poland, Romania, Serbia Census (2010) Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia Embassy register 10 Belgium, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey Police register 3 Egypt (work permit register), Kyrgyzstan (Special card registering migration of population), Russia Household survey 5 Croatia (LFS), Czech Republic (LFS), Egypt (International Migration Surveys, 1987 & 1997), Kyrgyzstan (Employment and Unemployment Module), Poland (LFS, EU-SILC), Other Kyrgyzstan (Survey of household budgets - Section on Migration of Population), Poland (Estimates made by the CSO based on different sources), Spain (If a person included in the Population Register is going to live abroad, we also include this circumstance in that Register)

Immigrant Flows Type of data source Number of countries Population register 20 Other source 7 Residence permits 6 Asylum applicants Police register 5 Foreigner register 4 Visas 3 Other register Border cards LFS Other survey Border sample 1 Other countries

Immigrant and Emigrant Flows

Conclusions (i) (Part 1 of questionnaire) Censuses represent the commonest data source for migration statistics “Foreign-born” and “Foreigners” are the definitions most commonly used to identify stocks of immigrants But not all countries adhere precisely to the UN definitions (32/45) and (33/43) respectively (Future Census). Household Surveys also have some potential: 17/26 countries can adhere to the UN definition for “Foreign-born”. Data on “Foreigners” are also obtainable in 23 countries from population registers and records of residence/stay permits. Length of stay is a determinant for about two-fifths of countries Censuses, population registers, surveys and resident permit records represent a source of information for certain, but not all hard to measure groups. 20 countries use population registers to measure immigrant population flows 14 countries are revising or adjusting their migration data in some way

Methodologies for estimating “Difficult to Measure” International Migrant Groups

Objectives To explore the relevance of “difficult to measure” international migrant groups To identify the group(s) for which the provision of a statistical count/estimate represents an issue To find out whether estimates of “difficult to measure” international migrant group(s) are provided within the framework of official statistics or by other data providers To collect information on the methodology utilized for the estimation.

Groups considered Short-term migrants Irregular/undocumented migrants Refugees/forced migrants Asylum seekers Transit migrants Circular migrants Trafficked migrants Minors

MAIN RESULTS

Particularity of these migrant groups Heterogeneous sources Limitations: Comparability of data - Little (or no) access to data Definitions Particularity of these migrant groups Heterogeneous sources

Relevance of "Difficult to Measure" Migrant Groups in UNECE Member States  

Challenges in Provision of Statistical Estimates on “Difficult to Measure” Migrant Groups  

Provision of Statistical Estimates by National Statistical Offices  

To estimate “Difficult to Measure” migrant groups various sources are used by: NSOs Other government agency or local authority Research institutes, universities and NGOs All reported using various sources

Conclusions (ii) (Difficult to Measure) Demonstrated interest of some States Existing good country practices Administrative sources have some potential Existing possibilities to collect and produce migration statistics on a national level Willingness of international organizations to assist and support initiatives on collection and production of data

Conclusions (iii) (Overall) Some progress has been made in terms of mapping data availability in UNECE region Mapping exercise includes a number of perspectives, stocks and flows; immigrant and emigrant groups; length of stay; hard to measure groups and methodological considerations (coverage/inclusion) Response to the questionnaire has been excellent, but parts of some questionnaires incomplete for institutional reasons. Some useful metadata provided Some inconsistencies noticed in responses (i.e. minors) The value of Household surveys for migration statistics is better defined The importance of forthcoming Censuses as a data source migration statistics is overwhelming