Training Programme on International Migration

http://www.unhcr.ch (statistics) 1

Training Programme on Training Programme on International MigrationInternational Migration

Organized by UN/ECE and UNFPA

in collaboration with NIDI

Geneva, Switzerland

24-28 January 2005


Refugee, asylum-seeker and forced Refugee, asylum-seeker and forced displacement statisticsdisplacement statistics

with a particular emphasis on the UN/ECE regionwith a particular emphasis on the UN/ECE region

Bela Hovy, Head

Statistics

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva


Programme of workProgramme of work

Mandate/legal basis (UNHCR/statistics)Scope (figures/issues)Displaced populations (refugees, IDPs)Asylum applications and refugee status

determinationSpecial issues


UNHCR mandate - generalUNHCR mandate - general• Refugees

– 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

– 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees

• Stateless persons (refugees & non-refugees)– 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless persons

– 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness

• Internally displaced (IDPs)– Request from Security Council/Secretary-General

– Interagency approach


UNHCR mandate - statisticsUNHCR mandate - statistics

• 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees“… the Contracting States undertake to provide the Office of the High

Commissioner in the appropriate form with information and statistical data requested concerning the condition of refugees, the implementation of this Convention (…)” (Art. 35. Cooperation of the national authorities with the United Nations)

• 1950 Statute of the Office of the UNHCR“… The High Commissioner shall provide for the protection of refugees

falling under the competence of his Office by (…) obtaining from governments information concerning the number and conditions of refugees in their territories (…). (Chapter II. Functions of the High Commissioner)


Scope of forced displacement - Scope of forced displacement - facts and figuresfacts and figures

• 39 million persons displaced globally (6 per 1,000 world citizen)

– 9.7 million refugees (UNHCR)

– 4.1 million Palestinian refugees in Middle East (UNRWA)

– ≈ 25 million internally displaced (UN/OCHA)

• 17 million persons of concern to UNHCR, end-2003– 9.7 million refugees

– 900,000 asylum-seekers (undecided cases)

– 4.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (of concern to UNHCR only)

– 1.3 million returnees (refugees and IDPs who returned in 2003)

– 900,000 Various (stateless/non-refugees, forced migrants, etc.)


Scope of forced displacement - Scope of forced displacement - issuesissues

• Nature: involuntary/forced displacement– Unplanned: inherent data collection problems

• Movements: none (stateless), internal or international• Cause: conflict or persecution (not natural disasters)• Size: mass flows or individual movements• Phase: displacement, return (post-conflict)• Focus: countries of origin, transit and destination• Duration: long-term and short-term

UN/ECE REGION IS VERY HETEROGENEOUS, INCLUDING ALL ABOVE SCENARIO’S


Standards - refugees (IDPs)Standards - refugees (IDPs)(UNHCR Annual Statistical Report--Table II)

• Stocks and “flows” – Population stock begin/end period (year)– Legal/demographic/administrative increases (prima

facie/group; individually recognized [Convention, hum. status], resettlement, births, etc.)

– Legal/demographic/administrative decreases (voluntary repatriation, resettlement, cessation, naturalization, deaths, verification, etc.)


Standards - refugees (IDPs)Standards - refugees (IDPs) (UNHCR Annual Statistical Report--Tables III and IV)

• Characteristics – Sex, age, location (camps, urban, etc.) (Table

III)– Legal status (1951 Convention, humanitarian)

(Table IV) – Type of recognition (prima facie/group,

individually) (Table IV)– Origin (Tables II, III and IV)


• Definitions– Who is a refugee? (1951Conv./ humanitarian; long-term resident;

rejected asylum-seekers, …)

• Availability/sources– Refugee stock, decreases, characteristics, ...– Register (absent, incomplete, outdated), linking registers, census,

• Timeliness– Annual statistics: max. 1-2 months

• Manageability– Unplanned displacement vs. managed migration

Experience/challengesExperience/challenges


Example - estimating refugee stocksExample - estimating refugee stocks

• If no refugee data / register available– 10 years of asylum-seeker recognition (all

statuses, all levels)– 10 years of resettled refugee arrivals (when

applicable)– [stock estimate for prima facie refugees]


• Meta data (header)– Level (L): first instance, appeal/review (one table per level)– Type (T): Government, UNHCR– Cases/persons

• Data – Applications, decisions (recognized [‘51 Conv.; hum. status], rejected, o/w closed),

pending cases by citizenship (incl. stateless), % female

• Formula’s (table)– Total decided = recognized + humanitarian + rejected + o/w closed– Pending begin = Pending-end previous period– Pending end = pending-begin + applications - total decisions– Refugee recognition rate: Recognized [rec + hum + rej] – Total recognition rate : [rec + hum] [rec + hum + rej] – Percentage change in pending cases

Standards - asylum-seekersStandards - asylum-seekers(UNHCR Annual Statistical Report--Table V)


• Availability– Otherwise closed separate from Rejected– Appeal/review– % female– Monthly applications

• Timeliness– Annual statistics: max. 1-2 months– Monthly/quarterly applications: max. 2/3 weeks

• Comparability – Manifestly unfounded (pre-screening or not) – Humanitarian status (separate status or rejected)

Experience/challengesExperience/challenges


Special issuesSpecial issues

• Asylum - migration nexusAsylum - migration nexus– UN Recommendations on international migration

statistics • Immigration by purposeImmigration by purpose

• Use of existing national sourcesUse of existing national sources

• Condition of refugeesCondition of refugees– Millennium Development GoalsMillennium Development Goals


Immigration by purposeImmigration by purpose

• Flows– Long-term residence permits issued by arrival category

(asylum, work, study, family reunion, ...)

– Family reunion differentiated by primary arrival category (asylum, work, study, ...)

• Stocks– Population register

– Population census


Best practice I--SwedenBest practice I--SwedenBox 2. Residence permits granted, Sweden, 1990-2003

* Including work, students, adoption and citizens from EU/EEA countries

Annual averages TotalCategory '90-'94 '95-'99 '00-'03 '90-'03

- Asylum/ref. 25,100 6,800 8,400 193,000 - Asylum/ref., family r. 8,000 4,900 4,300 81,700 - Asylum/ref., total 33,200 11,700 12,600 274,700 - Family r., total 21,800 20,200 23,600 303,900 Total permits* 50,500 35,500 45,300 611,100 % asylum/refugees in total no. of permits:- excl. family r. 87% 44% 39% 63%- incl. family r. 66% 33% 28% 45%% asylum/refugees in Total family reunification:

37% 24% 18% 27%


Best practice II - ZambiaBest practice II - Zambia

• Purpose of immigration purpose in 2000 population and housing census (UNHCR funded)– If foreigner, why come to this country?

• WorkWork

• StudyStudy

• AsylumAsylum

• Family reunificationFamily reunification

– WorkWork

– StudyStudy

– AsylumAsylum


Condition of refugeesCondition of refugees

• UNHCR Standards and Indicators Report

• UN-Millennium Development Goals

– Subjects (rights/access, condition):• Health/nutrition, education, water, sanitation,

shelter, living conditions

• Source: use of surveys


Wrap-up: sourcesWrap-up: sources• Refugee stocks and flows

– Register/registration (link to documentation/status)

– Census (refugee/IDP, population)

• Asylum-seekers– Register/registration (link to documentation/status)

• Condition of asylum-seekers/refugees– Administrative records

– Surveys

– Census


Wrap-up: Refugees and international Wrap-up: Refugees and international migrants - similarities and differencesmigrants - similarities and differences

– Population accounting perspective

• refugees are international migrants because they cross international border/change place of residence

– International rights perspective

• Entry (non-return or non-refoulement) of refugees is an international right/obligation of states

• Entry of international migrants is a state prerogative

Conclusion: distinction is essential, because treatment differs significantly


Finally: what to expect from UNHCR?Finally: what to expect from UNHCR?

• Statistical Yearbook (1 x per year)• Quarterly trends (3 x per year)• Monthly asylum applications in 35 industrialized

countries (monthly/quarterly)• Ad-hoc reports; special requests (variable)• Support for data collection (registration,

documentation)

UNHCR Country office http://www.unhcr.ch (statistics) e-mail hotline + distribution list (stats@unhcr .ch)

Training Programme on International Migration

Documents

Transcript of Training Programme on International Migration