International migration: definitions and current practices Enrico Bisogno UN Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division

International migration: definitions and current practices Outline of the presentation Migration flows  definitions and approaches Migration stocks  definitions, approaches, some data and a proposal

International migration: definitions and current practices A first simple question: Who is a migrant? Somebody who moves….

International migration: definitions and current practices Three possible criteria Individual characteristics Purpose of stay Duration of stay

International migration: definitions and current practices 1) Individual characteristics Foreigners Diplomats Military Foreign-born etc…

International migration: definitions and current practices 2) Purpose of stay Labour Asylum Family reunification Visitors/tourists etc.

International migration: definitions and current practices 3) Duration of stay 3 months 6 months 1 year etc.

International migration: definitions and current practices A combined approach A migrant is a person changing his/her place of usual residence

International migration: definitions and current practices Place of usual residence On-going discussion: Objective approach Subjective approach

International migration: definitions and current practices Demographic perspective Migrants included in the population balance: P t+1 = P t + B - D + I - E

International migration: definitions and current practices Demographic perspective: An immigrant is counted when he/she enters the population An emigrant is cancelled when he/she exits from the population

International migration: definitions and current practices 1998 UN Recommendations An additional requirement: 1 year or more of residence

International migration: definitions and current practices Two types of migrants (1998 UN Rec.) Long-term migrants (12 months and more) Short-term migrants (3 to 12 months)

International migration: definitions and current practices Implications Statistical system (definitions and sources) Policy perspective

International migration: definitions and current practices How to deal with traditional ‘typologies’? Asylum seekers Irregular migrants Returning migrants Returning nationals etc.

International migration: definitions and current practices Some current issues on flows No emigration data Differences in data availability between nationals and foreigners Different requirements in terms of intended duration of stay

International migration: definitions and current practices A second simple question: Who are the migrants living in your country?

International migration: definitions and current practices 1998 UN Recommendations Two subpopulations of interest: Foreigners Foreign-born

International migration: definitions and current practices Some definitions Foreigners Persons living in the country without the citizenship of that country Foreign-born Persons living in the country but born in another country

International migration: definitions and current practices Some practices Citizenship14 Place of birth7 Ethnic group2 Other4 Criteria used in 18 countries of Eastern Europe and CIS

International migration: definitions and current practices Some current practices  Canada  France  United States Foreign-born Foreign-born “Immigrés” Foreign-born

International migration: definitions and current practices Some current practices  Germany  Sweden  Switzerland Foreigners Foreigners and foreign-born Foreigners

International migration: definitions and current practices Some current practices  Netherlands ‘Foreigners’  Netherlands

International migration: definitions and current practices Some current practices  United Kingdom Ethnic groups

International migration: definitions and current practices Who has more ‘immigrants’? Sources: 2000 Census Round, HH Surveys & Pop. Registers

International migration: definitions and current practices Country of birth  Evidence of migration  Unique  Does not change  Objective  Some ‘Nationals’ can be included  Changes of borders  2nd generation excluded  Not ‘policy’ relevant PROS CONS

International migration: definitions and current practices Citizenship  Legally relevant  Objective  Easily detectable  Many statistical sources  Unstable  National regulations  Not unique CONS PROS

International migration: definitions and current practices Ethnic group  Directly addressing social dimension  Identify social groups also in the long run  Subjective  Political sensitive  Difficult to detect CONS PROS

International migration: definitions and current practices 3 different options on the ’border’:  Geographical (place of birth)  Legal (citizenship)  Social (ethnic group)

International migration: definitions and current practices 2000 Census Round: some interesting indications in ECE region  Country of birth: 44 countries  Country of citizenship: 42 countries  Ethnic group: 27 Countries

International migration: definitions and current practices 2000 Census Round: some interesting indications in ECE region 29 Countries asked additional questions on birth and/or citizenship:  Multiple citizenship  Citizenship at birth/by naturalization  Country of birth of parents

International migration: definitions and current practices The various groups 2 nd generation Foreign-born (1 st generation) Foreigners

International migration: definitions and current practices A possible classification of total population Natives parent country or abroad 1st generation immigrants Place of birth Parents' place of birth Citizenship parent country Nationals (at birth) Nationals (by naturalization) abroad Foreigners Nationals (at birth or by naturalization) Foreigners parent countryabroad 2nd generation immigrants

International migration: definitions and current practices Immigrant background: advantages  Comprehensive framework  Stable  Objective  Analytical capacity

International migration: definitions and current practices Comparisons (1) Imm-background vs. national definitions

International migration: definitions and current practices Comparisons (2) Imm-background vs. foreigners

International migration: definitions and current practices Comparisons (3) % of foreigners in imm.background

International migration: definitions and current practices Some conclusions (1) Change of place of residence Stocks Individual characteristics Flows

International migration: definitions and current practices Some conclusions (2) Population balance Stocks Multiple criteria Flows

International migration: definitions and current practices Some conclusions (3) Stocks Flows