Transcript A review of the United Nations recommendations for statistics on international migration Erlinda Go United Nations Statistics Division.

A review of the United Nations
recommendations for statistics on
international migration
Erlinda Go
United Nations Statistics Division
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Purpose of presentation
• Examine the concepts and definitions
relevant to statistics of international
migration
• Identify aspects of the definitions that need
some refinement
• Suggest any changes to make them more
relevant and more widely applicable
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Coverage of review
• Definitions for flow
• International migrant by duration (long-term, shortterm)
• International migrant by category (students and
trainees, migrant workers, etc.)
• Concept of “usual residence”
• Place of usual residence
• Country of usual residence
• Definitions for stock
• International migrant stock
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References
• Recommendations on Statistics of
International Migration, Rev. 1 (1998)
[RSIM]
• Principles and Recommendations for
Population and Housing Censuses,
Revision 2 (2007) [P&R]
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Why measure migration?
• To more accurately estimate the size
and growth of national population
• To monitor changes in the size and
composition of migrants
• To provide needed information to
manage the inflows and outflows of
non-nationals and nationals
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International migrant
(Definition of flows)
An international migrant is any
person who changes his or her
country of usual residence.
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Country of usual residence
(Concept used for international migration)
Definition in RSIM:
“The country in which a person lives, i.e., the
country in which he or she has a place to live
where he or she normally spends the daily period
of rest. Temporary travel abroad for purposes of
recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives,
business, medical treatment or religious
pilgrimage does not change a person’s country.”
Note: No time element specified for residence
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Place of usual residence
(Concept used in censuses)
Definition in P&R: “The place at which the person has lived
continuously:
• for most of the last 12 months* (i.e., for at least 6 months)
or intends to live for at least 6 months
or
• for at least the last 12 months* or intends to live for at least
12 months”
*not including temporary absences for holidays or work
assignments
Note: Explicitly specifies 12 months or most of the 12 months
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International migrant stock
(Definition for stock)
The set of persons who have ever changed
their country of usual residence.
That is
Persons who have spent at least one year of
their lives in a country other than the one in
which they live at the time the data were
gathered.
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International migrant
(Definition of flows)
The UN Recommendations distinguishes two groups of migrants by
duration of stay:
•Long-term migrant
• A person who moves to a country other than that of
his or her usual residence for a period of at least a
year (12 months), so that the country of destination
effectively becomes his or her new country of usual
residence.
•Short-term migrant
• A person who moves to a country other than that of
his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3
months but less than a year (12 months), except in
cases where the movement to that country is for
purposes of recreation, holiday, visit to friends and
relatives, business, medical treatment or religious
pilgrimage
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Three main elements in the
definition of international migrants
• Reference population
• Event : change of country of usual
residence
• Time references with respect to length of
stay in:
• Previous country of residence
• Current residence (actual)
• Current residence (intended)
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Reference population
• Age – no age limit
• Separating dependents is recommended)
• Citizenship – no exclusions
• Migrant stock may be limited to foreign
born, foreigners (for policy
considerations)
• Purpose (of travel)
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Event: change in country of residence
What constitutes change?
• Establish previous place of usual
residence
• Meeting one year residency criterion for
duration of stay (in previous)
• Establish new place of usual residence
based on:
• Actual stay
• Intended stay
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Country of usual residence
(Further clarification with time element)
RSIM notes (para. 36):
“the change of country of usual residence necessary
to become an international migrant must involve a
period of stay in the country of destination of at
least a year.
One year time frame consistent with other frameworks:
• Economic statistics
• Tourism
• Population census recommendations (to some extent)
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Time reference for duration of stay
• For long-term migrants
• Previous country of residence – at least one year
(12 months)
• Current residence – at least one year (12 months)
(RSIM para:186)
• For short-term migrants
• Previous country of residence – at least one year
(12 months)
• Current residence – at least three months but less
than one year (12 months)
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Purpose
Categories of international migrants
Non-migrants
Migrants
• Border workers
• In transit
• Visitors (tourists, excursionists,
business travelers)
• Diplomatic and consular
personnel
• Military personnel
• Nomads
•
•
•
•
Students and trainees
Migrant workers
International civil servants
Migrants for family
reunification or family
formation
• Migrants having free
establishment or movement
• Migrants for settlement
(employment-based, familybased, ancestry-based,
entrepreneurs and
investors,retirees)
• Refugees, asylum seekers, other
humanitarian
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Purpose of stay
• Non-visitors
• Visitors who over-stay, change
status?
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Long-term migrant
Definition:
“A person who moves to a country other than that of
his or her usual residence for a period of at least a
year (12 months), so that the country of
destination effectively becomes his or her new
country of usual residence.
From the perspective of the country of departure the
person will be a long-term emigrant and from that
of the country of arrival the person will be a longterm immigrant.”
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Short-term migrant
Definition:
“A person who moves to a country other than that of
his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3
months but less than a year (12 months), except in
cases where the movement to that country is for
purposes of recreation, holiday,…
From purposes of international migration statistics,
the country of residence of short-term migrants is
considered to be the country of destination during
the period they spend in it.”
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Long-term migrant
(Questions)
1. Does the country of destination of this long-term
migrant become his new country of usual
residence:
-
at arrival, if s/he intends to stay for 12 months or
more? (intended duration of stay)
after s/he completes 12 months in the new country?
(actual duration of stay)
2. What of the migrant’s usual residence before the
move? Is there a minimum period of stay
involved?
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Short-term migrant
(Questions)
1. Why 3-12 months?
2. Does the country of destination of this long-term
migrant become his/her new country of usual
residence:
-
at arrival, if s/he intends to stay for 3 to12 months?
(intended duration of stay)
after s/he completes any stay between 3 and 12
months in the new country? (actual duration of
stay)
3. What of the migrant’s usual residence before the
move? Is there a minimum period of stay
involved?
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International migrant stock
Definition: “the set of persons who have ever
changed their country of usual residence, that is to
say, persons who have spent at least one year of
their lives in a country other than the one in which
they live at the time the data were gathered.”
But - not very useful for policy. Recommended
subpopulations of interest:
• Foreign-born – persons born in a country other than the
one in which they live
• Foreigners – living in a country
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Definitions: stock-related concepts
Foreign population of a country: “all persons
who have that country as country of usual
residence and who are the citizens of
another country.”
Foreign-born population of a country: “all
persons who have that country as country of
usual residence and whose place of birth is
located in another country.”
RSIM paras. 188, 189
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What are not in?
•
•
•
•
Temporary migrants
Undocumented migrants
Population stock with “foreign background”
Second-generation immigrants (not really
migrants)
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Difficulties with the concepts/definitions?
• Term “migrant” not readily accepted by
some countries:
• Means entirely different things to different
countries
• Implied legal obligations
• In some cases term not used at all or has a
different meaning
• May not directly relevant to policy needs
• Further distinctions may be needed.
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Summary questions
• Migrant flows
• What are we defining?
• What issues are we trying to address with flows?
• What categories do we need to capture/represent?
• Migrant stock
• What is the main interest with stock?
• What policy relevance is there in measuring:
• Foreigners?
• Foreign-born?
• Return migrant Nationals/citizens?
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Thank you
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