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

International migration: definitions and current practices

Enrico Bisogno

UN Economic Commission for Europe

Statistical Division

http://www.un.org/


Outline of the presentation

• Migration flows definitions and approaches

• Migration stocks definitions, approaches, some data and a proposal

http://www.un.org/


A first simple question:

Who is a migrant?

Somebody who moves….

http://www.un.org/


Three possible criteria

• Individual characteristics

• Purpose of stay

• Duration of stay

http://www.un.org/


1) Individual characteristics

• Foreigners

• Diplomats

• Military

• Foreign-born

• etc…

http://www.un.org/


2) Purpose of stay

• Labour

• Asylum

• Family reunification

• Visitors/tourists

• etc.

http://www.un.org/


3) Duration of stay

• 3 months

• 6 months

• 1 year

• etc.

http://www.un.org/


A combined approach

A migrant is a person changing his/her place of

usual residence

http://www.un.org/


Place of usual residence

On-going discussion:

• Objective approach

• Subjective approach

http://www.un.org/


Demographic perspective

Migrants included in the population balance:

P t+1= Pt + B - D + I - E

http://www.un.org/


Demographic perspective:

•An immigrant is counted when he/she enters the population

•An emigrant is cancelled when he/she exits from the population

http://www.un.org/


1998 UN Recommendations

An additional requirement:

1 year or more of residence

http://www.un.org/


Two types of migrants (1998 UN Rec.)

• Long-term migrants

(12 months and more)

• Short-term migrants

(3 to 12 months)

http://www.un.org/


Implications

• Statistical system(definitions and sources)

• Policy perspective

http://www.un.org/


How to deal with traditional ‘typologies’?

• Asylum seekers

• Irregular migrants

• Returning migrants

• Returning nationals

• etc.

http://www.un.org/


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

http://www.un.org/


A second simple question:

Who are the migrants

living in your country?

http://www.un.org/


1998 UN Recommendations

Two subpopulations of interest:

Foreigners Foreign-born

http://www.un.org/


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

http://www.un.org/


Some practices

Citizenship 14

Place of birth 7

Ethnic group 2

Other 4

Criteria used in 18 countries of Eastern Europe and CIS

http://www.un.org/


Some current practices

Canada France United States

Foreign-born

Foreign-born “Immigrés”

Foreign-born

http://www.un.org/



Germany Sweden Switzerland

Foreigners Foreigners and foreign-born

Foreigners

http://www.un.org/



Netherlands ‘Foreigners’ Netherlands

http://www.un.org/



United Kingdom Ethnic groups

http://www.un.org/


Who has more ‘immigrants’?

Percentage of total population

0

5

10

15

20

25

CAN CH NL USA D F UK S

Sources: 2000 Census Round, HH Surveys & Pop. Registers

http://www.un.org/


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

PROSPROS CONS

http://www.un.org/


Citizenship

Legally relevant Objective Easily detectable Many statistical

sources

Unstable National regulations Not unique

CONSPROS

http://www.un.org/


Ethnic group

Directly addressing social dimension

Identify social groups also in the long run

Subjective Political sensitive Difficult to detect

CONSPROS

http://www.un.org/


3 different options on the ’border’:

Geographical (place of birth)

Legal (citizenship)

Social (ethnic group)

http://www.un.org/


2000 Census Round: some interesting indications in ECE region

Country of birth: 44 countries

Country of citizenship: 42 countries

Ethnic group: 27 Countries

http://www.un.org/


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

http://www.un.org/


The various groups

2nd generation

Foreign-born(1st generation)

Foreigners

http://www.un.org/


A possible classification of total population

Natives parent country

or abroad

1st generation immigrants

Place of birthParents' place

of birthCitizenship

parent countryNationals (at birth)

Nationals (by naturalization)

abroadabroadForeigners

Nationals (at birth or

by naturalization)

Foreigners

parent country abroad2nd generation immigrants

http://www.un.org/


Immigrant background: advantages

Comprehensive framework

Stable

Objective

Analytical capacity

http://www.un.org/


Comparisons (1)

Imm-background vs. national definitions

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

CAN CH NL USA S F UK D

Immigrant background

National definitions

http://www.un.org/


Comparisons (2)

Imm-background vs. foreigners

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

CAN CH NL USA S F UK D

Immigrantbackground

Foreigners

http://www.un.org/


Comparisons (3)

% of foreigners in imm.background

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

D CH F UK USA S NL CAN

On people withimmigrantbackground

On first-generationimmigrants

On second-generationimmigrants

http://www.un.org/


Some conclusions (1)

Change of place of residence

Stocks Individual

characteristics

Flows

http://www.un.org/



Population balance

Stocks Multiple criteria

Flows

http://www.un.org/



Stocks

Flows

http://www.un.org/

Documents

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