Transcript United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division Measuring Hard-to-Count Migration Populations: Importance, Definitions, and Categories Jason Schachter, Statistician United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UN Committee.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
Measuring Hard-to-Count Migration
Populations: Importance,
Definitions, and Categories
Jason Schachter, Statistician
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers
and Members of their Families (CMW)
Day of General Discussion on “the role of migration statistics for
treaty reporting and migration policies”
Geneva, April 22, 2013
Goals of Project
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Suitland Working Group Task Force
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Relevance of hard-to-count migrants in
different countries
• Compare definitions of hard-to-count
migrants at the national and international
level
• Factors that influence the data collection of
hard-to-count migrant populations
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 2
Who are Hard-to-Count Migrants?
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Short-term migrants
Circular migrants
Irregular migrants
Transit migrants
Trafficked person
Refugees
Asylum seekers
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 3
UNECE Questionnaire on
International Migration Statistics
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Questions from Section 2
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Conducted in 2008
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UNECE and other countries
Questions on…
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•
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Relevance
Measurement
Producers
Sources
Producers of estimates
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 4
Short-term Migrants
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Most frequently collected
Deviation from international definition
Minimum length of stay
Maximum duration of stay (12 months)
Intended and actual residence
Purpose of movement
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 5
Circular Migrants
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No NSO measured or provided a definition
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Operationalization:
• Duration of stay in destination country
• Frequency of repeated movements
• Purpose of migration
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 6
Irregular/Undocumented
Migrants
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Only four countries provided an operational
definition
Other definitions similar to the international
standards
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 7
Transit Migrants
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No countries provided a definition or attempt to
measure
Operationalization:
•
•
repetition of international migration
intention to move onwards
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 8
Trafficked persons/Smuggling
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Trafficking
Smuggling
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 9
Asylum Seekers
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Eleven countries provided definitions
Asylum seekers are foreigners who have applied for
refugee status and are awaiting a response
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 10
Refugees
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Almost all reported a definition in-line with
UNHCR
Some use broader interpretation to include
asylum applicants under international
protection
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 11
Data Sources
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Censuses and population registers, visa and border
control data, as well as some household and
passenger surveys
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Short-term migrants & refugees most frequent
Circular and transit migrants least frequent
Irregular migrants and/or trafficked persons: border
control information, police reports, and NGOs
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November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 12
Table 1: Number of countries and sources used to provide counts or estimates of hard-to-count migrant groups
Note: Countries could provide more than one source per migrant group
Source
Migrant Category
Administrative
Asylum department
Asylum register
Border card
Border police
Census
Emigration survey
Federal report
Foreigners’ register
Home office
Immigration service
International passenger
survey
Labour force survey
Migrants’ Register
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Interior
Non-governmental agencies
Police headquarters
Population register
Refugee office
Register
Statistical service
Total
November 6, 2015
Shortterm
2
2
1
3
1
3
Refugees
1
1
Asylum
2
1
3
Irregular
Trafficked
Circular
Transit
1
4
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
4
1
1
23
4
4
2
3
1
3
1
22
19
3
1
3
1
1
1
6
6
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
1
0
Slide 13
Relevance of Group and Difficulty
of Estimation, All Countries
group is relevant
80.0%
70.0%
provision of estimate is
an issue
67.3%
65.3%
60.0%
53.1%
50.0%
51.0%
51.0%
46.9%
44.9%
40.0%
36.7%
30.6%
30.0%
30.6%
26.5%
24.5%
18.4%
20.0%
16.3%
14.3%
16.3%
10.0%
0.0%
Irregular
November 6, 2015
Short-term
Refugees
Asylum
Trafficked
Minors
Transit
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Circular
Slide 14
Country-Specific Relevance and Difficulties in
Estimation of Irregular Migration
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 15
Factors that Influence the Difficulty of
Measuring Hard-to-Count Migrants
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Data issues
Statistical Office might have difficulty
accessing administrative data from other
national organizations
Data already produced by another
organization
Lack of relevance for a country
November 6, 2015
Jason Schachter- UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 16