A review of the United Nations recommendations for statistics on international migration

1. Areview of the United Nations recommendations for statistics on international migration Erlinda Go United Nations Statistics Division

2. Purpose of presentation • Examine the concepts and definitions relevant to statistics of international migration • Identify aspects of the definitions that need some refinement • Suggest any changes to make them more relevant and more widely applicable

3. Coverage of review • Definitions for flow • International migrant by duration (long-term, short-term) • International migrant by category (students and trainees, migrant workers, etc.) • Concept of “usual residence” • Place of usual residence • Country of usual residence • Definitions for stock • International migrant stock

4. References • Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration, Rev. 1 (1998) [RSIM] • Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2 (2007) [P&R]

5. Why measure migration? • To more accurately estimate the size and growth of national population • To monitor changes in the size and composition of migrants • To provide needed information to manage the inflows and outflows of non-nationals and nationals

6. International migrant(Definition of flows) An international migrant is any person who changes his or her country of usual residence.

7. Country of usual residence(Concept used for international migration) Definition in RSIM: “The country in which a person lives, i.e., the country in which he or she has a place to live where he or she normally spends the daily period of rest. Temporary travel abroad for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage does not change a person’s country.” Note:No time element specified for residence

8. Place of usual residence(Concept used in censuses) Definition in P&R: “The place at which the person has lived continuously: • for most of the last 12 months* (i.e., for at least 6 months) or intends to live for at least 6 months or • for at least the last 12 months* or intends to live for at least 12 months” *not including temporary absences for holidays or work assignments Note: Explicitly specifies 12 months or most of the 12 months

9. International migrant stock(Definition for stock) The set of persons who have ever changed their country of usual residence. That is Persons who have spent at least one year of their lives in a country other than the one in which they live at the time the data were gathered.

10. International migrant(Definition of flows) The UN Recommendations distinguishes two groups of migrants by duration of stay: • Long-term migrant • A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence. • 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 (12 months), except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday, visit to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage

11. Three main elements in the definition of international migrants • Reference population • Event : change of country of usual residence • Time references with respect to length of stay in: • Previous country of residence • Current residence (actual) • Current residence (intended)

12. Reference population • Age – no age limit • Separating dependents is recommended) • Citizenship – no exclusions • Migrant stock may be limited to foreign born, foreigners (for policy considerations) • Purpose (of travel)

13. Event: change in country of residence What constitutes change? • Establish previous place of usual residence • Meeting one year residency criterion for duration of stay (in previous) • Establish new place of usual residence based on: • Actual stay • Intended stay

14. Country of usual residence(Further clarification with time element) RSIM notes (para. 36): “the change of country of usual residence necessary to become an international migrant must involve a period of stay in the country of destination of at least a year. One year time frame consistent with other frameworks: • Economic statistics • Tourism • Population census recommendations (to some extent)

15. Time reference for duration of stay • For long-term migrants • Previous country of residence – at least one year (12 months) • Current residence – at least one year (12 months) (RSIM para:186) • For short-term migrants • Previous country of residence – at least one year (12 months) • Current residence – at least three months but less than one year (12 months)

16. Non-migrants Border workers In transit Visitors (tourists, excursionists, business travelers) Diplomatic and consular personnel Military personnel Nomads Migrants Students and trainees Migrant workers International civil servants Migrants for family reunification or family formation Migrants having free establishment or movement Migrants for settlement (employment-based, family-based, ancestry-based, entrepreneurs and investors,retirees) Refugees, asylum seekers, other humanitarian PurposeCategories of international migrants

17. Purpose of stay • Non-visitors • Visitors who over-stay, change status?

18. Long-term migrant Definition: “A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence. 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.”

19. Short-term migrant Definition: “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 (12 months), except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday,… From purposes of international migration statistics, the country of residence of short-term migrants is considered to be the country of destination during the period they spend in it.”

20. Long-term migrant(Questions) 1. Does the country of destination of this long-term migrant become his new country of usual residence: • at arrival, if s/he intends to stay for 12 months or more? (intended duration of stay) • after s/he completes 12 months in the new country? (actual duration of stay) 2. What of the migrant’s usual residence before the move? Is there a minimum period of stay involved?

21. Short-term migrant(Questions) • Why 3-12 months? • Does the country of destination of this long-term migrant become his/her new country of usual residence: • at arrival, if s/he intends to stay for 3 to12 months? (intended duration of stay) • after s/he completes any stay between 3 and 12 months in the new country? (actual duration of stay) • What of the migrant’s usual residence before the move? Is there a minimum period of stay involved?

22. International migrant stock Definition: “the set of persons who have ever changed their country of usual residence, that is to say, persons who have spent at least one year of their lives in a country other than the one in which they live at the time the data were gathered.” But - not very useful for policy. Recommended subpopulations of interest: • Foreign-born – persons born in a country other than the one in which they live • Foreigners – living in a country

23. Definitions: stock-related concepts Foreign population of a country: “all persons who have that country as country of usual residence and who are the citizens of another country.” Foreign-born population of a country: “all persons who have that country as country of usual residence and whose place of birth is located in another country.” RSIM paras. 188, 189

24. What are not in? • Temporary migrants • Undocumented migrants • Population stock with “foreign background” • Second-generation immigrants (not really migrants)

25. Difficulties with the concepts/definitions? • Term “migrant” not readily accepted by some countries: • Means entirely different things to different countries • Implied legal obligations • In some cases term not used at all or has a different meaning • May not directly relevant to policy needs • Further distinctions may be needed.

26. Summary questions • Migrant flows • What are we defining? • What issues are we trying to address with flows? • What categories do we need to capture/represent? • Migrant stock • What is the main interest with stock? • What policy relevance is there in measuring: • Foreigners? • Foreign-born? • Return migrant Nationals/citizens?

27. Thank you