escwa workshop on migration statistics cairo, 30 june – 3 july 2009

This project is funded by the European Union

MEDSTAT II Euro-Mediterranean Statistical Co-operation

Towards the implementation of the international

recommendations on migration statistics at

regional level: The MEDSTAT experience

ESCWA Workshop on Migration Statistics

Cairo, 30 June – 3 July 2009

G. Cantisani MEDSTAT II Key Expert


MEDSTAT II Lot 2 Euro-Mediterranean Statistical Co-operation

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MEDSTAT I main activities and results

Context and objectives of MEDSTAT II

Main findings of Orientation Phase

Objectives and activities resulting from Orientation Phase

Further main activities defined during the Implementation Phase

Work program and implemented activities

General conclusions

Outline



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(MED-Migr I, 1996 – 2003, in two phases)

Assessment and documentation of the legal framework and available statistics

Strengthening inter-institutional collaboration

Enhancement of systems of border cards and residence permits, including pilot works

A proposal for emigration modules in census / surveys

Three data collection exercises but no publication of data due to the limited availability and comparability

Intensive dissemination of documentation

MEDSTAT I main activities and results (1)



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Action A Evaluation of various existing sources to explore possibility of building a regional statistical system

Action B Evaluation and enhancement of border card systems

Action C Evaluation and enhancement of work and residence permit systems

Action D Management, Co-ordination, Meetings and Events

Action E MED-Migr Data Collection

Action F Study visits to Ministries of Interior



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Main output: 3 Eurostat Working Papers also widely referring to

other national experiences and international recommendations:

MEDSTAT Programme. Estimating emigration through an emigration module in the census. A proposal for the next censuses, by Reno Camilleri

MEDSTAT I Programme. Adapting border card systems in the Mediterranean region to measure international migration and international tourism: new initiatives and technical guidelines, by Jeannette Schoorl, in collaboration with Ibrahim Alì and Samir Farid

MEDSTAT Programme. Adapting residence and work permits registers in the Mediterranean region to measure international migration flows and stocks. Technical manual and guidelines, prepared by Jamal Bourchachen




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Context and objectives of MEDSTAT II (1)

Main differences between MEDSTAT I and II

12 vs 10 countries, 6 vs 11 sectors

Completely different setting (separate projects for each sector vs thematic approach under a common umbrella, asking conciliation of programs and resources among statistical sectors and high coordination among involved actors)

More attention to results in the long term and a demand-driven approach, with deep involvement of NSIs in the strategic orientation and country tailored implementation processes

Focus on production, exchange, dissemination and final use of statistics, with attention to ownership and durability of activities, although no data collection through a common questionnaire either publications of results were planned for the Migration Sector only



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For the Migration Sector,what can be realistically reached during a

three year period, i.e. “contributing to the improvement of the sustainable capacity of the MED NSSs to upgrade the production of statistics on

migration”



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1.Strengthening the capacities to measure migration through the exploitation of residence / work permits systems

• Improvement of residence / work permits systems allowing a better use for statistical purposes

• Raising awareness within national actors and national cooperation• Transfer of competences and good practices within the Euro-MED

statistical system

2.Satisfying users’ needs by conducting surveys3.Ad hoc technical assistance

4.Horizontal activities • Development of synergies with the Social Statistics Sector or other

initiatives • Monitoring, programming and re-orientation of activities



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Statistical sources

>Overall few annual statistics and low compliance with international recommendations

>Varying level of migration measurement in censuses and surveys, but some more exploitation in recent and forthcoming operations

>Migration surveys often depending from the availability of resources, prevalence of modules in general surveys

>Anyway infrequent operations, limitedly answering to all the requests and needs

Main findings of Orientation Phase (1)



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Administrative data

>Border cards (or border registration) widely used for statistics but with no relevance for migration

>Registers of residence permits as strongest systems on the whole, although some limitations and significant differences, anyway very limitedly used for statistics

>Other administrative sources differently developed and limitedly / not regularly used for (unofficial) statistics

>National partner agencies in overall ready for requests, sometimes needing resources upgrading




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Demand from users

>Increasing interest in migration, research undertaken to varying extents

>Main interest on emigration / nationals residing abroad, returning migration, foreign immigration

>Requests for statistics not enough satisfied; some criticism on lack of funding, fragmentation of activities, limitations in statistics and in the access to data of destination countries due to its high cost

>Strong demand of international collaboration and coordination




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Other main findings

>NSSs for migration not sufficiently coordinated, with national committees not existing / poorly operating

>Some lack of understanding about the usefulness and the practical implications for statistics

>NSIs strongly aiming to development, good level of potential cooperation in overall

>Some limited knowledge available from the past

>Recruitment / reallocation of NSIs staff often planned, with needs of training, information, technical advice, better equipment and communication means




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Objectives and activities resulting from Orientation Phase (1)

• Implementation of capacity building measures, normally based on varying sources and approaches, and therefore with varying activities, actions and achievements, depending on country

• Someway beyond the ToRs, trial statistical compilations based on new / improved administrative data, evaluation / access to data produced by other countries and joint works



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A.Strengthening the capacity to produce migration statistics using administrative sources

B.Strengthening the capacity to implement migration modules in household surveys and censuses

C.Improving national collaboration and awareness

D.Improving data production, exchange of international data and joint works

E.Other training and assistance

Objectives and activities resulting from Orientation Phase (2)



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Preparation of a synthetised Guide on the Compilation of Migration Statistics in the Euro-MED Region(proposed from EUROSTAT as output of a regional training)

Development of Model Questionnaires for Household International Migration Surveys (MED-HIMS) to be undertaken in a number of MED countries outside MEDSTAT funding, possibly in a coordinated way(proposed from a regional workshop)

Further main activities defined during the Implementation Phase



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Work Program and implemented activities



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Work Program and implemented activities (2)

WKS/WS = Workshop / Work SessionTRC = Training Course

MQ = Model Questionnaires



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Work Program and implemented activities (3)

WKS/WS = Workshop / Work SessionTRC = Training CourseMQ = Model Questionnaires

2008



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NATIONAL COORDINATION

• Good responsiveness and cooperation in many countries but still remains the main challenge

• Several new national committee and meetings

• New successful relationships among national agencies in Lebanon and Morocco resulting in the first time elaboration of individual data

• Similar process openly tried in Egypt

• High expectation of developments in Jordan and Syria, with no follow-up at end due to different reasons



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STUDY VISITS (1)

7 Study Visits in 7 EU Member States on different topics but always including national systems and use of administrative data

• Egypt to Italy • Jordan to Italy• Lebanon to Italy / Belgium • Palestinian Authority to Hungary• Maghreb countries jointly to France• Israel to Netherlands / Finland• Morocco and Syria to Spain



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STUDY VISITS (2)

• Sometimes time-consuming organisation but generally well appreciated

• In some cases ending with the definition of pilot / new work, improvement of previous plans or suggestions for bilateral cooperation

• Useful for inter-institutional collaboration

• Sometimes also useful for strengthening the relationships of national agencies in the host countries



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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

• 14 missions in 6 countries (Syria, Lebanon (2), Jordan (4), Egypt (4) , Palestine (2) and Morocco) for supporting the national awareness and coordination, programming of activities, use of administrative data, migration modules and proposals of migration surveys

• Assistance from home, including the proposal of a set of priority tables based on administrative data

• Wide implication of Short-Term Experts (11+2)



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MAIN ACTIVITIES IN COUNTRIES (1)

• Egypt: extension of electronic registration of data + new tables based on administrative data

• Jordan: inventory of sources + discussion towards a survey on immigration +

• Israel: moves towards the conception of a “Dual Record System” for both national and intern. needs

• Lebanon: migration module for MICS 3 + pilot work on the use of individual data from border crossing

• Morocco: exploitation of individual data from residence permits



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MAIN ACTIVITIES IN THE COUNTRIES (2)

• Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Syria: new national committees and working groups

• Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Syria: proposals of similar migration surveys

• Somewhere less activities than expected, mostly due to the conduction of censuses, limited absorption capacity, staff turnover and reorganisation, lack of effective cooperation among partner agencies, depending on country



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INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS (1)

•2 task force meetings

•2 regional training courses on concepts, definitions and methods for migration statistics and measurement of remittances

•3 regional workshops, 2 of which on Model Questionnaires

•2 Joint UNECE / EUROSTAT Work Sessions, Suitland Working Group, other meetings



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INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS (2)

• Useful to improve the awareness on migration statistics, the knowledge of methods, exchange of practices and recent initiatives at international/global level (Suitland WG, GFMD, CDG Commission on Int. Migration Data, EC Migration Profiles, …)

• Direct contribution to international frameworks (e.g. paper on methodologies for the estimation of stocks of irregular migrants for the UNECE / EUROSTAT WS)

• MEDSTAT II events useful for discussing activities and future plans of the MPCs and establishing synergies, with very informative final reports



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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REGIONAL WORKSHOP 2008 (1)

1.Directly cover illegal migration and circular migration through future workshops and guidance

2.Draft guidelines / technical manual on transfers taking into account all available experiences

3.Countries to check consistency and up-date data on research databases

4.Consider up-dating the Statistics in Focus produced by Eurostat in 1998 (based on the EU MS data)

5.Keep informed through the website, workshops, etc., of relevant international activities, projects and developments



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6.Countries consider any proposal for technical assistance and look for synergy and reference to good practices

7.Keep informed of progress on the Lebanon pilot and publish its final (or partial) report

8.Possibly provide technical assistance to other MPCs wishing to test a similar process

9.Keep informed of progress on work on permits in Morocco and publish results / short manual

10.Continue to enhance cooperation among national agencies and inform of the reasons behind proposed changes/tests



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11.Document and publish the use of modules and surveys to measure actual / intended emigration and return migration, eventually including the EU, and any validation/quality work

12.Depending on resources, provide assistance to MPCs on surveys beyond the preparation of project documents for migration surveys

13.Develop a core model questionnaire for a specialized migration survey for the Region, to be tested in one or two countries

14.Publish results of any pilot work on a specialized migration survey or tests



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OTHER ACTIVITIES AT REGIONAL OR CENTRAL LEVEL

• Sector Report

• Guide on the compilation of migration statistics

• Model Questionnaires

• Final Publication

• Translation of documents

• Diffusion of documents on CIRCA

• Facilitation of data requests

• Synergies with ESCWA, World Bank, EUI/CARIM and other institutions and initiatives



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Conclusions (1)

• Some too heavy and time consuming administrative procedures with the EC and consultation processes with MED-countries and different institutions and initiatives

• Good context of dialogue and exchange of information among MED-countries and with other countries / frameworks, stressing on the opportunity to apply common criteria in the statistical production

• Continuous and useful support from the EC / EUROSTAT, ESCWA, other international institutions and initiatives and the NSIs of selected EU Member States

• A favorable timetable of international frameworks



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Conclusions (2)

• Few but significant and varied activities at country level, also beyond the initial mandate, with good hopes for consolidation of work and for reproduction in other countries

• The challenging but unique joint exercise of Model Questionnaires for migration surveys

• The push to invent, to play on the available data sources (“Do it yourself!”) as well as and to satisfy the different recommendations (e.g. CGD Commission on International Migration Data for Development Research), all asking relatively few cost



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THANK YOU!

escwa workshop on migration statistics cairo, 30 june – 3 july 2009

Documents