United Nations recommendations in the field of international migration statistics Bela Hovy, Chief Migration Section Population Division/DESA United Nations, New York Training workshop on international migration statistics (ESCWA, DESA, ALO, MEDSTAT) Cairo, Egypt, 30 June – 3 July 2009

United Nations Population Division/DESA Presentation overview Principles and recommendations for population and housing Censuses rev. 2 (United Nations, 2008) Recommendations on statistics of international migration rev. 1 (United Nations, 1998) Conclusions

Part I Principles and recommendations for population and housing Censuses rev. 2 (United Nations, 2008)

United Nations Population Division/DESA Place of usual residence Each person has only one place of residence. Each person has only one place of residence. “Place of usual residence: the place at which the person lives at the time of the census, and has been there for some time or intends to stay there for some time.” (some time =12 months). “Place of usual residence: the place at which the person lives at the time of the census, and has been there for some time or intends to stay there for some time.” (some time =12 months). “Persons who move frequently and do not have a place of usual residence should be enumerated at the place where they are found at the time of the census.” “Persons who move frequently and do not have a place of usual residence should be enumerated at the place where they are found at the time of the census.” “It is not recommended that censuses of population and housing enumerate only those people with a legal right to be in a place but rather should include either all those present at the place on census night or all those whose usual residence on census night was at the place.” “It is not recommended that censuses of population and housing enumerate only those people with a legal right to be in a place but rather should include either all those present at the place on census night or all those whose usual residence on census night was at the place.”

United Nations Population Division/DESA International migration characteristics - 1 Country of birth (core) “… information on country of birth be recorded according to national boundaries existing at time of census.”“… information on country of birth be recorded according to national boundaries existing at time of census.” “… coding of information on the country of birth should be done in sufficient detail to allow for the individual identification of all countries of birth ….”“… coding of information on the country of birth should be done in sufficient detail to allow for the individual identification of all countries of birth ….” “Countries with a significant number of immigrants or return migrants may want to collect information on the country of birth of parents.”“Countries with a significant number of immigrants or return migrants may want to collect information on the country of birth of parents.”

United Nations Population Division/DESA International migration characteristics - 2 Citizenship (core) “ … record country of citizenship as such and not adjective to indicate citizenship as some of those adjectives are used to designate ethnic groups”. “ … coding of information on country of citizenship should be done in sufficient detail to allow for the individual identification of all countries of citizenship. “Enumeration and processing instructions should indicate the treatment of stateless persons, persons with dual nationality, persons in the process of naturalization and any other groups with ambiguous citizenship.”

United Nations Population Division/DESA Country of birth (P2.1-R) Sex Country of birth …100+n.s.Total Male - Country a - Country b - … - Not stated Total Female - Country a - Country b - … - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Citizenship (rev.) Sex Country of citizenship …100+n.s.Total Male - Country a - Country b - … - Stateless - Not stated Total Female - Country a - Country b - … - Stateless - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Year of arrival (rev.) Sex Country of birth n.s.Total Male - Country a - Country b - … - Stateless - Not stated Total Female - Country a - Country b - … - Stateless - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Skills (rev.) Sex Country of birth (citizenship) Low skilled Semi skilled Highly skilled n.s.Total Male - Country a - Country b - … - Not stated Total Female - Country a - Country b - … - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Education (rev.) Sex Country of birth (citizenship) PrimarySecondary -1 st cycle Secondary -2 nd cycle TertiaryN.s.Total Male - Country a - Country b - … - n.s. Total Female - Country a - Country b - … - n.s. Total

Part II. Recommendations on statistics of international migration rev. 1 (United Nations, 1998)

United Nations Population Division/DESA Short and long-term migrants Long-term migrant. A person who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months). 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 long-term immigrant. Long-term migrant. A person who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months). 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 long-term immigrant. 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 (except holiday, visits to friends, business trip, etc.). 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 (except holiday, visits to friends, business trip, etc.).

United Nations Population Division/DESA Immigration (total) Citizens Country of previous residence Country a - Country b - Country c - Country d - Not stated Total Foreign citizens Country of previous residence Country a - Country b - Country c - Country d - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Emigration (total) Citizens Country of next residence Country a - Country b - Country c - Country d - Not stated Total Foreign citizens Country of next residence Country a - Country b - Country c - Country d - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Immigration long-term (by type) Entry (visa) category Employment - Education and training - Family reunification and formation - Settlement - Humanitarian - Regularization - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Immigration short-term (by type) Entry (visa) category Employment - Education and training - Family reunification and formation - Settlement - Humanitarian - Regularization - Not stated Total

United Nations Population Division/DESA Bottlenecks and how to address them Most data are already available! 1)Detail  process essential cross-tabulations with requested detail 2)Timeliness  make date available rapidly 3)Dissemination  administrative data are not a matter of national security

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