How to improve social surveys to provide better statistics on migrants

How to improve social surveys to provide better statistics on migrants Inna Šteinbuka Director, Social and Information Society Statistics Eurostat Malta, 1 October 2009 DGINS Conference Migration Statistics Mainstreaming

Improving survey data on migrants Why use surveys as a source of data on migrants? survey 2

Improving survey data on migrants Why use surveys as a source of data on migrants? The LFS ad hoc module on migrants and persons of immediate migrant descent Some provisional results survey 3

Improving survey data on migrants Why use surveys as a source of data on migrants? The LFS ad hoc module on migrants and persons of immediate migrant descent Some provisional results Better survey data on migrants overcoming the barriers survey 4

Why use surveys to produce data on migrants? Migration is complex interactions with many social, economic, cultural and political phenomena Key data source for social statistics Well-established procedures Significant resources are already devoted to surveys so we must try to use them well Administrative data lacks explanatory information Surveys provide detailed multidimensional data 8

The 2008 LFS ad hoc module on migrants and persons of immediate migrant descent Contains questions to identify and provide information for migration policy in particular, integration of migrants and their national born descendants Long development process involving combined expertise of LFS and migration specialists Flexible implementation some questions not feasible in Member States with few migrants

LFS ad hoc module some provisional results Highest level of education of native born young adults by migration status of parents % of each group of parental origin by level of education Belgium Level of education Luxembourg Level of education High Medium Low High Medium Low Native born parents 30.4 43.3 26.3 Native born parents 23.7 41.7 34.6 Mixed background 21.4 39.6 38.9 Mixed background 13.9 45.5 40.6 Foreign born parents 12.5 44.5 43.0 Foreign born parents 9.5 47.2 43.2 Excludes cases where level of parental origin or level of education not stated

LFS ad hoc module some provisional results Reason for migration % of foreign-born residents aged 15-64 - selected reasons for (most recent) migration Intracorporate transfer Education Family formation AT 1.3 7.0 9.1 BE 2.0 5.5 16.3 DE 4.2 3.0 9.0 ES 0.7 2.7 4.2 IE 2.3 6.7 2.8 IT 0.5 2.3 7.0 NL 0.9 5.2 20.5 UK 3.2 11.3 5.6 CH 3.7 4.4 12.0 NO 0.6 3.8 11.5

Questions regarding the use of surveys Are the survey methods appropriate? Sampling Migrant-specific non-response Are we asking the right questions? Would it be better to use a special targeted migrant survey? How can these approaches best be combined? 12

Adapting the methodology of existing surveys Changing the methodology for better coverage of migrant populations: - migrant samples, over-sampling, alternative sampling frames, questionnaire translations, working with migrant community groups Strengths - relatively quick to implement - limited increase in resources required - builds on experience of the existing survey Weaknesses - implementing changes may be complex in a large existing survey - methodologically difficult to integrate data from separate core and migrant samples

Adding migration-related questions to existing surveys Adding questions or question modules to existing surveys to - provide additional information (reason for migration, language ability, experience of discrimination) - identify migrant-related groups (second generation) Strengths Weaknesses - quick to implement - complex issues can be covered by combing core and additional migrant questions. - does not resolve migrant coverage problems - may make the existing survey questionnaire too long

Targeted migrant surveys Developing a new thematic survey targeted on migrant populations: aims, content and methods designed to produce good multidimensional data on migrants Strengths - migrant-focussed survey design and implementation - minimal impact on existing social surveys Weaknesses - development and implementation would take time and resources

Combined approaches An integrated approach, for example: - migration-related question modules and over-sampling - infrequent targeted migrant surveys supplemented by annual data from existing social surveys Weaknesses Strengths - flexible: responds to specific data needs and circumstances. - may be hard to select best solution. Need for review of existing data and information requirements

Next steps Work on improving surveys will be a core part of the wider challenge of migration statistics mainstreaming Administrative data Surveys International exchanges of data Methodological, technical and organisational frameworks for data integration - Task Force on Migration Statistics Mainstreaming begins before end-2009 expected output: realistic programme of short-, medium- and long-term actions

Conclusions Surveys are - and will remain - an essential data source for statistics on migrants Migration mainstreaming need for data on migrants must be reflected in all surveys framework required for linkage of survey and administrative data LFS ad hoc module interesting initial results some quality concerns Four approaches to improving the use of surveys can be identified, including a combined approach reflections in the Migration Statistics Mainstreaming Task Force will help to define the next steps Cooperation and the sharing of expertise between international organisations and the academic community will be essential 18

Thank you 19