1. POLICY NEEDS FOR MIGRATION STATISTICS
Workshop on migration statistics Meeting of European Directors of Social Statistics Luxembourg, 11 March Jordi GARCIA MARTINEZ, DG JLS
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2. Structure of the presentation
Looking back: achievements of the past 5 years
Migration mainstreaming: essential but not the only objective, other goals exist, other data needs
Looking ahead: what are the statistical needs to formulate and implement migration policy? Focus on integration, irregular migration and migration profiles
What can be DG JLS contribution in the framework of Migration Mainstreaming?
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3. Achievements Undeniably, situation is much better now than 5 years ago
There is a legal basis (Regulation 862/2007); more data categories are available, within shorter deadlines; ‘empty cells’ are becoming rare; statistical publications appear more often; analytical capabilities have improved (EMN, etc.).
Above all: awareness of the importance of migration statistics has greatly increased
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4. Migration Mainstreaming
On the basis of these achievements, we can now aim at a more ambitious objective: Migration Mainstreaming
This is indirectly supported by the Stockholm Programme: “The European Council recognises the need to find practical solutions which increase coherence between migration policies and other policy areas such as foreign and development policy and policies for trade, employment, health and education”.
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5. Migration Mainstreaming
However, recent achievements and current efforts on Migration Mainstreaming should not hide the fact that we still lack some basic information. Some examples:
- What happens to failed asylum-seekers after the end of the procedure? Are they removed? Do they fall into irregularity?
- How many of the third-country nationals in the EU arrive irregularly or fall into irregularity?
- How many unaccompanied children arrive irregularly every year to the EU?
- How many newly arrived migrants with good qualifications cannot find jobs due to lack of recognition of their diplomas or previous experience?
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6. Migration Mainstreaming
Within the Migration Statistics Mainstreaming process it is important to distinguish between:
Using existing data sources, which is mainly about interlinking existing sets of data, including migration-related elements in existing surveys or administrative databases;
AND
New data sources, which concerns the creation of new data collections, new surveys, etc.
However, the distinction between the two may sometimes be blurred
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7. Statistical needs
To develop its large array of migration-related policies, DG JLS needs statistical information on many different aspects.
Most of them have a direct link to the issue of Migration Mainstreaming.
In some cases it will enough to add some migration-related variables to existing data sources. In other cases, new data sources will have to be created.
In this presentation, the focus will be on integration, irregular migration and migration profiles.
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8. Statistical needs: Integration
The EU actively promotes integration policy. With the Lisbon Treaty there’s now a legal basis for it (art. 79.4), which refers to “third-country nationals residing legally”.
One of the priority areas in EU integration policies: development of integration indicators.
Stockholm programme: Commission to support Member States’ efforts “towards the development of core indicators in a limited number of relevant policy areas (e.g. employment, education and social inclusion) for monitoring the results of integration policies, in order to increase the comparability of national experiences and reinforce the European learning process”.
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9. Statistical needs: Integration
December 2009: Swedish Presidency Malmö conference on “Indicators and monitoring of the outcome of integration policies”. Main conclusions:
- European core indicators on integration will primarily be based on currently available official statistics and on quantitative data which may be obtained from surveys or administrative data sources.
- Recognising differences in target groups, data will be presented for either foreign-born or third country-nationals, and both where possible.
- The main policy areas of relevance for monitoring the outcome of integration policies are: employment, education, social inclusion, active citizenship.
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10. Statistical needs: Integration
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11. Statistical needs: Integration
What next?
Ministerial Conference on Integration in Zaragoza, Spain, in April 2010, will probably invite Commission to implement agenda for evaluation of integration policies incorporating these indicators.
Conclusion: Statistical Mainstreaming and development of integration indicators are mutually reinforcing processes.
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12. Statistical needs: Irregular migration
By its very nature, irregular migration is much more difficult to be recorded and counted.
According to some estimates, there are between 2-4 million irregular migrants in the EU, i.e. between 10-15% of third-country nationals, not a negligible group.
Given the importance of the phenomenon, it should not be left out of the Migration Mainstreaming framework.
Ways must be found to obtain more information about irregular migrants
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13. Statistical needs: Irregular migration
Some administrative data are already collected: refusals, apprehensions, returns.
Additional disaggregations should be possible within the limits set by art. 8 of Regulation 862/2007: place and reason of apprehension, age and sex of returned persons.
But that is not enough
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14. Statistical needs: Irregular migration
Surveys could offer more information, although there is a need to ensure participation from irregular migrants, who may be suspicious when approached.
In any migration-related survey, new questions should be included about the ‘path’ of the migrant and his/her current situation:
- Did (s)he arrive legally?
- If not, how did (s)he moved into legality?
- If still irregular, is regularisation an option?
- Is return an option if the irregularity persists?
- Which public services do irregular migrants use? Do they have access to health, education?
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15. Statistical needs: Irregular migration
A specific group of concern within irregular migrants are unaccompanied minors.
In the Stockholm Programme, the European Council has welcomed “the Commission’s initiative to develop an action plan, to be adopted by the Council, on unaccompanied minors”.
This Plan will be adopted in the spring of It will stress the importance of improving statistical information on this particularly vulnerable group of migrants.
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16. Statistical needs: Irregular migration
As many unaccompanied minors are under the care of public administration bodies (thus identified and located), an EU-wide survey could be an option.
The full potential of Regulation 862/2007 should also be used; if this is not enough, amendments could be considered to better cover this group (now only data on asylum-seekers are collected).
Conclusion: improving statistics on unaccompanied minors will be a priority in coming years.
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17. Statistical needs: Migration Profiles
Migration profiles are reports giving a clear picture of the impact of migration on the countries of origin. They contain:
- data and analyses on the labour market situation;
- unemployment rates;
- labour supply/ demand and present/potential skill shortages by sector and occupation;
- skills needs in the country, skills available in the diaspora,
- migration flows;
- incoming and outgoing financial flows linked with migration, including migrant remittances;
They should be owned by the partner countries and updated regularly;
To develop them, cooperation with third countries is essential, as they include information from both sending and receiving (i.e. EU) countries.
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18. Statistical needs: Migration Profiles
Data related to integration (employment, skills) can be ‘recycled’ for the purposes of the migration profiles, with a focus on the citizenship of the migrants.
Financial data on outflows (remittances) are extremely relevant.
Data on returns, short term and circular migration also needed.
Need for extensive cooperation with countries of origin, including capacity building activities in NSIs (e.g. MEDSTAT)
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19. How can DG JLS help? Using existing networks, structures:
- The European Migration Network provides a platform for analysis, dialogue and cooperation where policy-makers and statisticians could discuss Mainstreaming issues;
- The Network of National Contact Points on Integration has already done extensive work on integration indicators;
- At higher level, SCIFA group could invite Directors of Statistics to discuss cooperation between policy-makers and statisticians.
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20. How can DG JLS help? Other activities:
Financing studies or actions related to the improvement of migration statistics (through Solidarity Funds);
Disseminating information on the Migration Mainstreaming process through its contacts with national officials in Ministries of Interior/Justice/Labour/Immigration;
Providing input whenever necessary.
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21. Conclusions
This presentation has highlighted some of the data needs of migration policy-makers, specially those relevant for DG JLS.
They are not the only ones, but they probably are the most important ones.
DG JLS trusts Eurostat and NSIs will find the best methods and data sources (be them surveys, administrative databases, expanding existing data collections, etc.) to obtain the information needed.
DG JLS will fully participate in the Migration Mainstreaming process and is ready to provide its expertise.
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22. Conclusions
Thanks to DG Eurostat, DG EMP and to NSIs for launching the Migration Mainstreaming process.
Contact in DG JLS:
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