Transcript International migration and development: Data needs and gaps

International migration and development:
Data needs and gaps
Bela Hovy, Chief
Migration Section, Population Division
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
United Nations
The 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development: Data implications
Side event of the 44th Statistics Commission
New York, 27 February 2013
High-level Dialogue on Migration and
Development, 3-4 October 2013, New York
Overall theme
Identifying concrete measures to strengthen
coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view
to enhancing the benefits of international migration
for migrants and countries alike and its important
links to development, while reducing its negative
impacts
RT1: International migration, sustainable development
and post-2015 development agenda
RT2: Migrant rights, smuggling & trafficking, regular
migration, women and children
RT3: Partnerships, cooperation, mainstreaming
migration into development policies
RT4: Labour mobility and its impact on development
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Repeated calls to improve evidence base
•
2006 High-level Dialogue on International
Migration and Development
•
Various General Assembly resolutions
•
32 out of 250 recommendations of the
Global Forum on Migration and
Development (2007-2012) on improving data
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Migration data of the Population
Division, DESA
Stocks
•
Global estimates (age, sex, origin)
Flows
•
•
Immigration/emigration: 43 countries (31 with
outflows)
Labour permits (exits): 10 countries
Net migration (estimates and projections)
•
What to assume for the future?
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Population census
•
Why?
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•
•
•
•
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trends (South-South migration)
‘diaspora’
migration corridors
regional mobility
skills, education
Issues
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lack of reporting
delays in availability
long data interval
irregular migrants
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Example of use of country of birth/citizenship
Most migration occurs within regions
rather than across regions
International migrants living in the same major area as they were born, 2010
75 per cent or over
50 to less than 75 per cent
Less than 50 per cent
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Administrative sources
•
Why?
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circular migration
timely data on trends
reasons for migration (permits, visa, entry-exit)
detailed characteristics at minimal costs
Issues
• comparison difficult
• few countries
• regular migration only
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Example of differences in administrative data
Labour exit permits in South and SouthEastern Asia
Sending
country
By
destination
country
By
sex
Bangladesh
1976-2012
x
India
2002-2010
Indonesia
1994-2011
Nepal
1994-2003,
2009-2010
Pakistan
2005-2010
Philippines
1998-2010
x
Sri Lanka
2005-2009
x
Thailand
2005-2010
x
By
age
By
skill
level
By
occupation
Renewal
Recruiting
agencies
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
x
x
x
Migration surveys
•
Why?
• impacts on countries of origin, transit and
destination, migrants (health, education, income)
(post-2015 UN development agenda)
• Causes (reasons)
• detailed characteristics
• higher chance of reaching irregular migrants
•
Issues
• lack of dedicated funding
• complexity of survey design
• Comparability / ad hoc
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
The number of countries with available
migrant stock data is decreasing...
Number and percentage of countries with migrant stock data, (1990, 2000, 2010)
200
180
160
75%
75%
70%
140
120
65%
68%
60%
51%
100
34%
80
60
26%
40
20
0
Total
1990
2000
2010
Age
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Origin
...however, experiences differ
between regions
Percentage of countries over major area with migrant stock data, (1990, 2000, 2010)
Total
By age
100
80
60
40
20
0
1990
100
90
80
70
60
2000
2010
2000
2010
50
By origin
40
30
20
10
0
1990
2000
Africa
Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean
2010
100
80
60
40
20
0
1990
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
Country of birth/citizenship not available for most
countries which held a census during 2005-2011
Countries with data on origin of migrant stock, by conducted census, 2010 round (2005-2011)
Data available
Census conducted but data not available
Future census or no census
United Nations, Population Division/DESA
How to strengthen data collection on
international migration?

Ask basic questions, and tabulate the answers
• National statistical offices, DESA, UNFPA, World Bank
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Exploit administrative data sources
• Ministries in charge of migration, statistical offices

Leverage existing surveys
• World Bank, MICS (UNICEF), DHS, ILO

Provide access to micro-data
• Ministries in charge of migration,
statistical offices

Build capacity
• Global Migration Group?
How can the global statistical
community engage ?
(2013 High-level Dialogue, UNSC, CPD, etc.)
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Global, designated programme to
improve migration data from all
sources, to support migration policy
• Capacity-building, training
• Implement existing standards (develop new
standards where necessary)
• Build on existing tools, projects, partnerships
• World Survey Programme on Migration?
United Nations, Population Division/DESA