Topic: The international migration and development agenda: Implications for data collection

A Presentation By Godwin O. Gyebi & Noah A. Yeboah

VENUE: United Nations Conference Center Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

DATE: Tuesday, 19th November, 2014 1

Workshop on Strengthening the Collection and Use of International Migration Data For

Development

Presentation Outline Over view of migration data in Ghana Enhancing the benefits of international

migration for national development Data needed to evaluate policies On-going migration management

programs Ghana Integrated Migration

Management Approach (GIMMA) - the comprehensive database to manage international migration data.

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Over view of migration data in Ghana • Internal and international migration continue to present both challenges and opportunities to Ghana. Either regular or irregular, migration continue to have a direct impact on the economy of Ghana over time.

• Ghana has an active diaspora community, which has historically demonstrated an a strong commitment to homeland development and continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of Ghana.

• In recognising this, the Ghana Medium Term Development Plan, Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (201-2013) and other programs link effective migration management to national development. 3

Indeed, migration management in Ghana is carried out through a range of rights and freedoms enshrined in the 1992 constitution, Acts of Parliament and other National regulations

Migration Governance in Ghana is further informed by Regional and other International Policies and Conventions.

Ghana’s policy on migration

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Ghana’s policy on migration

The following are some of the Governing Laws of Migration Management in Ghana. •The 1992 Constitution of Ghana •Immigration Service Law 1989 ( PNDC Law 226)

•Immigration Act 2000,(Act 573)

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Ghana’s policy on migration •Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591) •Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and Labour Regulations, 2007(L.I 1833)

•Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694)

•Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2006 (Act, 478)

•Free zone Act,1995 (Act 504) etc.

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•Development of a Migration Profile of Ghana in 2009

•The drafting of the first ever migration policy, which is in its final stages of completion further throws light on Ghana’s migration management agenda. • The new policy seeks to maximise the gains and minimise the costs associated with migration.

•Institutional framework • (Setting up of a Migration Unit, Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Migration, Technical Working Group, Diaspora Affairs Unit)

Enhancing the benefits of international migration

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Data needed to evaluate policies •The usefulness of migration statistics in the country is to support efficient plan formulation, decision-making

•The setting of reliable migration indicators is essential for monitoring migration stocks, flows, and trends - as basis for policy formulation and effective migration management.

•Lack of data and indicators on migration is a major constraint

•Currently, most Organizations and Institutions in Ghana collect and produce their own migration statistics purely for administrative purposes without sharing.

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Key Sources of Migration Data Migration data in most cases, are generated from three key different sources:

• Administrative Records (Records from the GIS and Other MDAs)

• Population and Housing Censuses

• Sample Surveys

• Special migration survey 9

Key Sources of Migration Data 1. Administrative records Ghana Immigration Service – records from entry Points,

Visa Processing , Residence Permit as well as Work Permit Sections etc.).

Labour Department – registration of labour migrants, employment statistics

Bank of Ghana – official remittances Ghana Missions Abroad – visa processing International Organization for Migration (IOM) Other International and Local agencies – UNHCR,

Refugee Board, GIPC, Freezones Board etc. National Identification Authority – registration of

registration of Ghanaians and Non-Ghanaians

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Key Sources of Migration Data (cont.) 2. Population and Housing Censuses (PHC): 1984,

2000 and 2010

3. Sample surveys Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS

2005/2006; GLSS 2012/2013) Migration Survey (1991);

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Migration Questions in the 2010 (PHC)

•Usual household members present on census night

• Place of birth - Born in this town/village or region/country? • Lived in this place since birth? • How long have you lived in this place? • Nationality

•Usual household members absent on census night • Sex, age, region/country of destination, months absent

•Former household members who have migrated outside the country for 6 months or more

• Age, sex, destination, year of departure, activity abroad

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Migration Questions in the GLSS-6 (2012/2013)

Place of birth to determine migration status of respondents In-migrants Return migrants Activities of migrants The main motivation for migration

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Migration data storage •Population and Housing Censuses and surveys datasets

•Analytical reports (Hard and soft copies)

•GIS Mid-year and Annual Perfomance Reports

•Reports posted online on GSS website

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Recent reports and documents on migration •Analytical reports

• Chapters on migration in the 2000 and 2010 PHC and the GLSS – 6

• Thematic report on migration using the 2010 PHC data

•The Migration Profile of Ghana, 2009

•The GIS Annual Performance Reports

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Migration data sharing No joint migration data sharing Mechanism exist –

However MDAs can request and obtain data from another MDA

Weak coordination among institutions dealing with migration issues

Administrative data less disaggregated – Does not permit meaningful analysis of migrant characteristics (age, sex, level of education, etc.)

Data storage format not user-friendly - forms not processed

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A shift in the national data collection systems

•Data collection practices in Ghana is undergoing major changes after the completion of the Migration Profile of Ghana in 2009. •Changes of data collection and co-ordination at the national level; and

•Increased efforts to coordinate data collection and harmonise data on migration

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On-going migration data programs Growing number of initiatives and measures to improve

data on migration 1. Development of the National Migration Policy of Ghana

with a component on migration data management

2. Development of a Guide on the use of migration data in Ghana Handbook– an initiative from the Rabat Process (Euro-African Dialogue on migration and Development).

The handbook is being developed with ICMPD playing leading roles.

Aim of the guide List available sources of migration data and users Highlight tools for migration data Contribute to migration policy development

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On-going migration data programs (cont.) • The implementation of the e-Immigration Project

supported be the World Bank and the Government of Ghana is another initiative towards the effective generation and use of migration data. The Project looks at •Providing integrated e-immigration system to

regulate the entry and exist into the country as well as check for persons of interest to the country

•It would also provide a case management system for permit processing

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The Ghana Integrated Migration Management Approach (GIMMA) Project •Component 1: Build capacity of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to implement effective migration management measures.

•Component 2: Information resources on safe and legal migration and alternative livelihood options are made accessible to migrants, returnees and migration affected communities

•Component 3: Existing knowledge management system on migration is enhanced through a consultative process with all key stakeholders

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The GIMMA Project Component 3 of the GIMMA Project

Coordination of key stakeholders involved in migration data management,

Establishment of a national migration data management framework,

Establishment and updating of a national migration database and

Analysis of migration data for policy making

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The GIMMA Project – AN OPPORTUNITY •Will help to identify possible migration data sources in the country.

•Identification of the type of migration data produced by institutions working on migration issues.

•As tools for migration data management – data collection, data storage, ensuring data quality (timeliness, periodicity, consistency, representativeness, disaggregation, confidentiality, etc.),

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The GIMMA Project – AN OPPORTUNITY •To build a strong collaboration by providing technical support in the following areas: •Providing support for data gathering and analysis

•Effective coordination among stakeholders

•Harmonization and standardization of data collection methods and tools

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The GIMMA Project – AN OPPORTUNITY •Within the framework of the GIMMA project, a database centralizing all data will be created •To produce periodic reports and disseminate migration products and made data available to user.

•The database framework will operate in line with good data management systems or guidelines - a comprehensive set of standards on data characteristics i.e. quality, access and integrity, periodicity.

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How do we do it? •We need to work on the following:

•Convening stakeholders and undertaking performance assessment

•Coordination and leadership •Data management •Training in statistics and developing migration indicators

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END OF PRESENTATION

THANK YOU