1. Presentation by: Veronika Bilger CLANDESTINO Undocumented Migration: Counting the Uncountable Data and Trends Across Europe Presentation at the conference: Qualità dei servizi sanitari in un contesto pluriculturale 9 October 2008, Reggio Emilia

2. 2 General information General information Design, aim – some first conclusions The Clandestino Project: Funded by the 6th Framework Programme Duration: 01 September 2007 to 31 August 2009 Coordination: Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) - CIR; COMPAS; HWWI; ICMPD; PICUM

3. 3 Aims of the project 1) Inventory of data/estimates: irregular migration in selected EU countries - AT, CZ, FR, DE, EL, HU, IT, NL, PL, SK, ES, UK (stocks, flows)  Country Reports: General migration framework; meaning of irregularity; policy and public discourse on irregular migration; data/estimates (to be finalised end of october)  Investigation Reports: flows of irregular migration in three important transit countries  Database: data/estimates; evaluation of data/estimates in regard to quality

4. 4 Aims of the project 2) Discussion of methodological and ethical issues related to quantifying/estimating irregular migration  Methodology Report: Mapping of estimation methods; overview on previous comparative analysis  Ethics Report: potential consequences of producing data; meaning for designing policies -potential effects on this particluar population -framing reality (over- and underestimations) 3) Propose new methods for evaluating and classifying data to come to better estimates

5. 5 First Results: meaning of irregular migration – influencing data What is considered: irregular, illegal, undocumented clandestine etc. migration and migrants? - entry, residence, employment - various combinations For the combination entry/exit+residence alone see following chart:

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7. 7 First results: discourse and meaning – influencing data Certain prevailing images: - Entry: image on how persons entered the country (e.g. Italy blue-border vs. overstaying, green-border, airports) - Residence: no status does not mean fully undocumented: possibility of status change (asylum seekers, overstayers, tolerated, changed reason of residence, lost status etc. Problems reflected in data/estimates …

8. 8 First results: data availability Only few data/estimates exist Rather of low quality (lack of definitions of the target persons; intransparent methodology) Estimates are often based on apprehension figures - Events or persons? - Border or in-country apprehensions? - Work-related apprehensions - Border apprehension figures do not include overstayers but asylum seekers vs. In country apprehension figures - Exits?; persons lacking work/residence permit Regularistions (IT 1995, 1998: 200.000– 250.000; 2002: 702.056)

9. 9 First results: data availability- IT innovation Fondaz. ISMU (Iniziative e Studi sulla Multietnicita) new method of estimating: - Centre Sampling technique (migrant services) 2005: 541 000 2006: 650 000 2007: 349 000 Decrease 2006 – 2007: - 2006: quasi regularisation = expanding quota for labour recruitment (170.000  550.000) - 2007: EU= Romania, Bulgaria

10. 10 First results: changes and developments Definition and meaning of irregular migration changed significantely in 1990s (dissolution of the SU) - Integration of European Union - Increasingly restrictive and more complex immigration policies in EU-Member States - Important effect of EU – enlargement de-facto regularisation (e.g. Romanian citizens) data have dropped sharply (e.g. AT: 60 %)

11. 11 First conclusions Irregular migration is much more complex than generally approached Irregular migration is NOT exceptional but something rather common The Illegals do not exist. Irregular migration movements contravene migration regimes but are not completely illegal or fully undocumented – Illegality = specific phase/aspect in a migration process Irr. Migrants navigate between in and out legal status Very difficult to grasp with the methods currently applied, distorted pictures of complex „reality“

12. 12 http://research.icmpd.org