Conference of European Statisticians: Work Plan to Improve International Migration Statistics

1. Conference of European Statisticians:Work Plan to Improve International Migration Statistics Victoria A. Velkoff UNECE/Eurostat Work Session on Migration Statistics March 3-5, 2008

2. Introduction • CES Work Plan is a cooperative effort of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and International Organizations (IOs) to evaluate the consistency of international migration statistics and to propose recommendations for improving international migration statistics. • 3 general problems recognized: • Missing data • data on emigration • Incomplete data • data on undocumented migrants • Inconsistent data • data on temporary migrants

3. Ultimate Goal of CES Work Plan • Improve the collection and use international migration statistics

4. 6 Outputs of Work Plan • Metadata inventory of definitions • Pilot projects to assess duration thresholds • Pilot projects to measure emigration • Define residency rules for temporary migrants • Harmonize concepts and definitions of remittances between BOP and surveys • Propose recommendations to improve collection and use of international migration statistics

5. Output 1: Produce a metadata inventory, including: • A crosswalk of various (operational) definitions for immigrant stocks and flows • Definitions of migrants whose were not included in the 1998 Recommendations • A compilation of current/emerging practices used in NSOs to measure temporary and illegal migrants

6. Output 1 Status: In Progress • Heard about some of the work on measuring temporary and undocumented migration • UNECE will send a questionnaire out to member countries shortly • Compilation of definitions used by different countries and best practices to be disseminated via UNECE website

7. Output 2: Design and administer pilot projects to assess implications of different duration thresholds: • Assess the consequences of using different durations (3 months, 6 months, one year) • Impact on flow estimates, composition, and net migration • Use a small, but representative, group of countries

8. Output 2 Status • Piloted completed by Australia • Next steps to expand to other countries and develop protocol • UK will take the lead on the next steps

9. Output 3: Design and administer pilot projects to measure emigration using data collected by the receiving country: • Deficiencies in measuring out migration • Key questions • Can host country adequately measure change in immigration? • Is change consistent with other data sources? • Is method of analysis portable for use by other countries? • UNECE Pilot Project on Estimating Emigration (findings reported Monday)

10. Output 3 Status: Completed • Accomplished! • Outputs • Summary of the 4 reports • Protocols for exchange developed • Guidelines produced • Guidelines will be disseminated on the UNECE website

11. Output 4: Define Residency Rules: • Residency rules for migrants (non-visitors) who are in a country less than 3 months • Residency rules for migrants who have been in a country more than 3 months and less than 12 months • Definition of temporary workers • Economic/Financial frameworks • Demographic frameworks

12. Output 4: Status • After assessing this task it seems that it overlaps with output 1 and output 2 so it is likely to be merged into those outputs

13. Output 5: Recommend the definition and classification of remittances • Define and classify remittances • Accomplished • Issue paper on harmonization of concepts between BOP and surveys • Accomplished • Expert Group Meeting • Accomplished • Next steps • Task force on measuring migration and remittances in household surveys

14. Output 6: Recommendations for improving international migration statistics • Reflecting the findings from Outputs 1-5 • Steering Committee to propose recommendations to improve collection and use of international migration statistics