Improving the quality and availability
of migration statistics in Europe:
- reviewing concepts and definitions to
develop EU legislation for migration
statistics
David Thorogood
Eurostat
Content
• EU legislation for migration statistics
– What are the effects of EU statistical legislation?
– Progress and future plans
– Implementing the legislation
• Concepts and definitions
– Many questions
• Conclusions
– Lessons
– Ideas for the future
Purpose of an EU regulation for
migration statistics
Most important areas of European statistics have a clear
legal base in EU law
• Defines in detail
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the data to be supplied to Eurostat
technical and quality standards
timing, reference periods, formats for data transmission
metadata
methods and data sources (usually, but not for migration)
• Regulation
– directly applicable
– legally binding on all EU Member States
Principles followed
• Freedom to use any appropriate data sources
• Harmonised statistical definitions
– UN Recommendations
– EU legislation on immigration, asylum, border controls
• Emphasis on metadata
• Some flexibility to update definitions in future
• Covers all existing migration-related statistics
– Migration flows, foreign population stocks, asylum,
acquisition of citizenship, measures against
unauthorised entry and stay, residence permits
Current situation and future plans
• First drafts for informal discussion – August 2003
• Commission proposal for legislation – September 2005
• Review / amendment / voting
– European Parliament
– Council of the EU
Votes expected in the coming months
• Coming into force on 2007?
• Implementation
– Further legal work
– Technical guidelines
– Practical assistance projects
Definitions and concepts – detailed
discussion and questioning
Making something a legal obligation concentrates
the mind…
• What do the UN Recommendations really mean?
• Are they appropriate, feasible, necessary?
• nationally, in the EU, globally
• Can the definitions be applied?
• by all Member States
• using all data sources
Example: Implementing a ’12-month stay’
definition of migration
• Why 12 months?
– National systems: 3-6 months
– EU visas/residence permits: 3 months
• Actual duration of stay, intended/expected stay, legally
authorised stay?
– Is ‘intention’ good enough?
• Which is the reference year?
– Year of arrival or year when completes 12 months
• Time limit for data supply
– Can only confirm if a 12-month migrant 12 months
after the end of the reference year
Example: Implementing a ’12-month stay’
definition of migration (2)
• Definitions based on duration of stay…
appropriate or useful?
• unwillingness to accept that citizens of a country or persons born in
the country could ever be described as ‘migrants’
• some users prefer to classify cross-border movements by reason for
entry or by the rights granted to the person (employment etc.)
feasible (for all migrants)?
• in a European context of open internal borders, ongoing removal of
restrictions on EU citizens’ rights to work and establish residence,
increasing cross-border commuting, retirement and ownership of
second residences … less administrative data
Conclusions
• Definitions in the legislation broadly follow the UN
Recommendations
• The 12-month duration of stay definition
 remains an important and useful measure
 serves well needs of population statisticians
 but covers only some of the groups who could legitimately be
counted as ‘migrants’
 Closely documenting and rigorously applying definitions rapidly
illustrates any problems or inconsistencies
 Certain flows and stocks are becoming even harder to measure
 emigration
 intra-EU flows
 flows and stocks of nationals and other EU citizens
Thank you