The global migration debate: What data do we need to close the evidence-gap?

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The global migration debate What data do we need
to close the evidence-gap?
Pablo Lattes Migration Section, Population
Division - DESAUnited Nations, New York
Regional workshop on migration statistics, 26 -
27 October 2011, Antalya, Turkey
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International migration and development at the
United Nations
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Milestones on international migration and
development at the United Nations

• International Conference on Population and
  Development, Cairo, 1994 (PoA, Chapter X)
• High-level Dialogue on International Migration
  and Development, 2006
• Global Forum on Migration and Development
• Global Migration Group (14 UN agencies plus IOM
  and World Bank)
• Special Representative of the Secretary-General
• Informal thematic debate on International
  Migration and Development, 19 May 2011
• High-Level Dialogue on International Migration
  and Development, 2013

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Informal thematic debate

• Panel 1 The contribution of migrants to
  development
• International migration contributes to
  development. But in order to reap the full
  benefits of migration the following are needed
• Better policies and programs to
• Reduce transaction costs of remittances
• Promote return and circular migration
• Promote migrant entrepreneurship
• Protect the rights of all migrants
• Facilitate the integration of migrants into host
  societies
• A sound evidence base

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Informal thematic debate (2)

• Panel 2 Improving international cooperation on
  migration and development
• Maximizing migrant contributions to development
  requires cooperation at all levels
• At the bilateral and regional levels progress has
  been made in strengthening cooperation
• The GFMD has successfully promoted dialogue, but
  it is still a fragile process, with insufficient
  support from Member States
• The GMG has an important role to play in
  fostering better coordination and supporting the
  activities of Member States (for example,
  collaboration between UNHCR and IOM to evacuate
  foreign workers from Libya)

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The Global Migration Group (GMG)

• 16 members, including the 14 United Nations
  entities (), IOM and the World Bank
• Created by United Nations Secretary-General in
  context of the 2006 High Level Dialogue
• Objectives
• Apply international instruments and norms on
  international migration
• Promote coherent, comprehensive and coordinated
  approach to international migration

Global Migration Group (GMG), 2011
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Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD)

• Objective
• to advance understanding and cooperation on the
  nexus between migration and development and
  foster practical and action-oriented outcomes
• Character
• voluntary, informal, participatory, non-binding
  and Government-led process
• Participation
• open to all members and observers of the UN
• Past Meetings
• Belgium (2007), Philippines (2008), Greece (2009)
  and Mexico (2010)
• Future Meetings
• Switzerland (2011), Mauritius (2012), Sweden
  (2014)

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2011 GFMD main themes

• Theme - Taking Action on Migration and
  Development - Coherence, Capacity and Cooperation
• Labour mobility and development
• Engaging the private sector in labour market
  planning
• Lowering the costs of migration for higher
  development gains
• Global care workers at the interface of migration
  and development
• Addressing irregular migration through coherent
  migration and development strategies
• And Planning tools for evidence-based migration
  and development policies.
• Handbook on Mainstreaming Migration into
  Development Planning
• Impact Assessments of Migration and Development
  Policies
• Implementing Migration Profiles

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2013 High-level Dialogue on International
Migration and Development process(UNGA
resolution 65/170)

• Resolution on theme and modalities UNGA 67th
  session (Oct 2012)
• Regional commissions and other relevant entities
  (IOM, etc.) regional preparations
• High-level Dialogue Sep (?) 2013
• Resolution on HLD outcomes and future (?)

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Data sources for policy issues
Key policy levels Data sources
Levels, trends and characteristics UN DESA
Remittances levels and costs The World Bank
Circular and return migration ? Surveys
Labour export (incl. highly-skilled migration brain drain) OECD, WHO, The World Bank
Migrant entrepreneurship ? Surveys
Portability of pensions ? bilateral agreements
Transferability of education certificates / skills UNESCO, bilateral agreements
Irregular migration Admin. Records, Surveys
Social and economic integration of migrants Census, Surveys
Protection of rights of migrants Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, ILO
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Recommended stock tabulations by United Nations
Statistical Office

• Native and foreign-born population by age and sex
• Foreign-born population by country of birth, age
  and sex
• Foreigners by country of citizenship, age and sex
• Foreign-born 15 years and over by educational
  attainment and sex
• Foreigners 15 years of age by educational
  attainment and sex
• Population by citizenship status, age and sex
• Economically active foreign-born by occupation
• Source Migrant stock tables of United Nations
  Statistics Division Population census
  questionnaire 2011

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Recommended flow tabulations by United Nations
Statistical Office

• Inflow by reason (work, study, etc.)
• Inflow and outflow by citizenship status, sex and
  age
• Inflow and outflow by origin/destination
• citizenship
• country of residence (previous/next)
• country of birth
• Source United Nations Statistics Division
  Questionnaire on International Travel and
  Migration

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Reporting compliance by countriesExample 1
migrant stock (total)
Total foreign-born/ foreigners Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered
  1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Africa 70 51 11 62 69 22
Asia 64 76 28 74 87 42
Europe 81 88 58 96 99 85
Latin America and the Caribbean 83 76 15 85 95 9
Northern America 80 80 80 100 100 100
Oceania 83 92 25 100 100 95
Total 75 74 28 86 93 68
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011
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Reporting compliance by countriesExample 2
migrant stock (age)
Foreign-born, foreigners by age   Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered
Foreign-born, foreigners by age   1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Africa 54 33 5 53 50 8
Asia 40 52 22 41 59 37
Europe 54 81 38 53 99 69
LAC 80 63 13 85 89 9
Northern America 80 80 60 100 100 100
Oceania 67 71 17 98 99 79
Total 58 58 20 60 82 60
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011
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Reporting compliance by countriesExample 3
migrant stock (origin)
Foreign-born, Foreigners by country of birth / citizenship  Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage countries with data Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered Percentage migrants covered
Foreign-born, Foreigners by country of birth / citizenship  1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Africa 65 46 5 33 88 7
Asia 50 62 16 52 75 18
Europe 79 88 56 82 100 85
LAC 83 74 7 81 100 6
Northern America 80 80 80 100 100 100
Oceania 75 79 25 98 100 95
Total 70 68 22 71 91 60
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011
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Reporting on migration flows
Country From Country From Country From
Armenia 2000 Germany 1965 Poland 1999
Australia 1976 Greece 2007 Portugal 1992
Austria 1996 Hungary 1995 Rep. of Moldova 1993
Azerbaijan 1995 Iceland 1986 Romania 1994
Belarus 2000 Ireland 1987 Russian Fed. 1991
Belgium 1960 Israel 1995 Slovakia 1993
Bulgaria 2007 Italy 1986 Slovenia 1996
Canada 1964 Kazakhstan 2000 Spain 1983
Croatia 1992 Kyrgyzstan 1990 Sweden 1960
Cyprus 2002 Latvia 1995 Switzerland 1991
Czech Republic 1993 Lithuania 2000 Ukraine 2000
Denmark 1980 Luxembourg d 1980 United Kingdom 1960
Estonia 2004 Netherlands 2000 United States 2000
Finland 1980 New Zealand 1979
France 1994 Norway 1980
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011
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Remittances (inflows US dollars)
Remittances Inflows (US million) 2000 2005 2008 2009 2010e Share of GDP, 2009
Armenia 87 498 1062 769 832 8.8
Azerbaijan 57 693 1554 1274 1404 3.0
Belarus 139 255 443 358 375 0.7
Georgia 274 346 732 714 808 6.6
Kazakhstan 122 178 192 124 132 0.1
Kyrgyz Republic 9 322 1232 992 1160 21.7
Moldova 179 920 1897 1211 1306 22.4
Russian Federation 1275 3012 6033 5359 5477 0.4
Tajikistan .. 467 2544 1748 2032 35.1
Turkmenistan .. .. .. .. ..
Ukraine 33 595 5769 5073 5595 4.5
Uzbekistan .. .. .. .. ..
Source World Bank, 2011
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The cost of transferring remittances differs
greatly across migration corridors
Cost of sending US 200 in US, third quarter 2010
Source World Bank, 2011
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Migrant entrepreneurs create many new jobs
Average number of jobs created by each
foreign-born self-employed person in firms with
under 50 employees, 1998-2008
Source OECD, 2010
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almost as many as native-born entrepreneurs
Average number of jobs created by each foreign-
and native-born self-employed person in firms
with under 50 employees, 1998-2008
Source OECD, 2010
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Migration CorridorsSignificant migration between
regions (millions)
    TO TO TO TO TO TO TO   Origin
  REGION AFR ASIA EUR LAC NAM OCEAN TOTAL   Origin
FROM AFR 17.2 4.5 7.6 0.0 1.9 0.3 31.4 55
FROM ASIA 0.6 48.2 18.5 0.3 13.9 1.9 83.4 58
FROM EUR 1.4 7.6 38.5 1.5 9.1 2.6 60.7 63
FROM LAC 0.1 0.5 4.1 4.6 23.6 0.1 33.0 14
FROM NAM 0.1 0.4 0.8 1.0 1.4 0.2 3.8 36
FROM OCEAN 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.8 1.5 57
FROM TOTAL 19.3 61.3 69.8 7.5 50.0 6.0 213.9
Destination Destination 89 79 55 62 3 14
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011
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Migrant Stock by Age and Sex Migrants in the
North older and a balanced sex ratioMigrants
in the South younger and males of working age
More developed regions
Less developed regions
Migration Section Population Division - DESA,
2011