UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 THURSDAY January 27 Session 1-2: analyses of migration issues Jeannette Schoorl, NIDI

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Research for policy making Successful policy research: –helps states to develop of policies –helps assess the impact of existing policies –contributes to the public debate But be modest / realistic: –many factors shape migration policy and research is just one of them –research impact is often indirect or long-term: it’s rare that one research project results in policy making directly

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Researchers and policy makers have different objectives, speak different languages, have different time frames and target audiences Sources of conflict: –rapid results versus sound methodology and high quality results –research rarely provides ready made answers and solutions –policy makers use research results selectively, in tune with policy contexts The gap between researchers and policy makers

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Some suggestions for solutions: –policy makers should be committed to evidence- based policy making, and researchers need to be aware of policy contexts agree in advance on what evidence is needed –timeliness: researchers should attempt to anticipate policy agendas –present results in easily accessible and comprehensible formats Reference: Laczko & Wijkström, Enhancing the contribution of migration research to policy making: intergovernmental workshop. International Migration, 42(2), 2004

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 MIGRANT PROFILES

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Afghan refugees in Pakistan Study carried out by Masood Hayat and Naghma Imdad (Dataline Services, Pakistan) and Marja Exterkate (NIDI) Main aim: obtain a list of relevant issues to assess return and to prioritise needs for rehabilitation programmes in Afghanistan

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Fairly narrowly defined objectives --> relatively short questionnaire: –current basic demographic and socio- economic characteristics –return intentions –intended place of return –potential needs related to return

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Instrument: rapid survey & focus group Target population: Afghan refugees in Pakistan Geographic distribution: ca. 50% in >250 refugee villages, ca. 50% in urban areas (concentration in NWFP) Ethnicity: majority Pashtun

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Time schedule: February-May 2002 –survey preparation: 4 weeks –field work: 6 weeks –analysis and reporting: 2 weeks

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Sampling design: –multi-stage random sample –sample size: 1,044 heads of household (from an available rough estimate of population size by refugee village and urban area) –area sampling: 116 urban and rural areas, followed by sampling of actual respondents

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Questionnaire & manual: multi-lingual Field work: –8 teams of 2 interviewers (male, female; Afghan and Pakistan nationality; multi- lingual) –2-day interviewer training –pilot + main field work Focus group discussions: –8 groups (young people years)

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Results were mostly presented in the form of simple tables and percentages, e.g.: –52% want to return, 46% want to stay –the longer in Pakistan, the less likely to want to return –needs: security, jobs, housing, education services –Return intentions not necessarily to place of origin –the question on intentions was difficult: reflects people’s mood of the day; the researchers recommend a regular follow-up, with quick surveys among 500 households

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Profiles of returnees in Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Turkey Current study, based on data from the Eurostat/NIDI study on the push and pull factors of international migration. Main aim: to study the linkages between return migration, entrepreneurship and development –profiles: demographic and migration characteristics of return migrants in comparison current migrants employment status and migration intentions of returnees in comparison with non-migrants

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Instrument: surveys among migrant and non- migrant households in selected migrant- sending countries –the surveys did not specifically focus on return migrants, and the number of returnees among the respondents is not very large: Egypt: 1,022 Ghana: 331 Morocco: 254 Turkey: 501

UNFPA/UNECE/NIDI Training programme on international migration, Geneva, 24-28/01/2005 Some basic results: –returnees in Ghana, Egypt and Turkey are still relatively young and economically active; returnees in Morocco are more likely retirees –Economically active returnees in Ghana and Morocco are twice as likely as non-migrants to work as employers –Reasons for return: end of contract or expulsion appeared frequent; only a few stated setting up a business as their reason to return –Mixed feelings about having returned: many want to migrate again.