DECEMBER 2006

A Comparative Analysis of Data Sources to Measure International Migration in Dominican Republic: Methodological Aspects, Short Term Challenges and

Some Recommendations

Data Sources Resemblances and conceptual

differences Exploitation of the information Advantages and limitations Short-term challenges

CONTENTS

The main objective of this paper is to present an evaluative diagnosis of the sources of information on international immigration in order to search for better ways to estimate the number and characteristics of people entering and leaving the Dominican Republic.

OBJECTIVE

Demographic and Health Survey

National Survey of Incomes and Expenses of the Households

National Censuses of Population and Dwelling

Households National Survey of Multiple Purposes

General Direction of Migration

Data Sources

Conceptual resemblances of the sources The majority of the surveys revised allow us to know only a phase of the phenomenon of the international migration, the international volumes accumulated of immigrants

As much as in the censuses the surveys lack of homogeneous and clear conceptualization of that migration process

Only the ENHOGAR 2006 and the census of 2002 consider the integral measurement of the international migration.

Differentiate conceptual of the sources

None of the remainder of the surveys consulted, possesses this characteristic.

The registration of entering and leaving of the General Direction of Migration responds only to administrative purposes, not permitting, therefore, the measurement of the international migration

Advantages of the sources of information

Working on a sample basis allows the surveys to: Save time and technological, technical, and financial

resources

Approach the themes with greater deep

Include personnel with greater level of preparation and

training

Keep greater degree of control of the processes of data

collecting

Manage greater degree of quality of the results

Advantages of the sources of information The censuses of population, inasmuch as are exhaustive studies,

they allow a greater degree of data desegregation, so much to geographical level as of any other characteristics

The administrative registrations of migration are continuous, they collect data in fixed places and they cover all the population that enters and the leaves country, which implies:

Providing information brought up to date

Permitting to spread out estimations, so much to geographical level, as of any

other characteristic

Saving technological, technical, and financial resources

The level of data desegregation produced on survey basis always depends on the of the sample size The underlying complexity in its assembly and execution, derives in population censuses:

Constraints in the approach of a variety thematic that could be of interest for the study of the international migration,

Reduction in possibilities of going deeply in the thematic in study.

Limitations of the sources of information

The information provided by surveys is always related to a specific geographical desegregation, and loses utility when the proposal is focused to minority population groups.

Limitations of the sources of information

Exploitation of the information The diagnosis that underlies to the content previously exposed shows that the available information on international migration in the Dominican Republic is limited. Furthermore, there is a problem related to the insufficient exploitation of those limited data because of:

Insufficient human resources qualified in those themes

There are not enough spaces of discussion on the themes in question (Workshops, Seminars) where the potential of such information may be exposed

Little culture of utilization of the statistical information in the social and economic planning Little opening in permitting the access to the collected data

Short- term challenges Because of the conceptual heterogeneousness and the

temporary reference in the process of collecting sheets on

international migration, presented by the different sources it,

is necessary to:

Include in the censuses of population all the questions that, according to the international recommendations, they are required to measure adequate the international migration.

Include integrally in the surveys the questions contemplated in the censuses of population, besides those that provide data to deepen in the knowledge on the phenomenon.

Standardize the conceptual aspects of the approach on the topics studied.

Short-term challenges

Defining methodologies that permit to take advantage of the

administrative registrations of the General Direction of

Migration as a source of information for the international

migration by establishing:

The differentiation between the international migrant and the temporary travelers

Assuring the inclusion, in the formats, of the collection of the necessary aspects for the characterization of the international migrant

Making sure that the data will be available for the institutions and users in general

Next steps

Supported by two other institutions, the National Office of Statistics is establishing covenants with them, aiming to build, the international migratory statistics that requires Dominican Republic to properly study the phenomenon. Those covenants are:

With the General Direction of Migration, to improve the registry of people arriving to the country to establish residence and people leaving the country to reside overseas, and consecuently have an idea of how many emigrants and immigrants we have and their characteristics.

With the INE of Spain, to exchange information on Dominican living in Spain and in exchange, the ONE would be delivering information of the Spaniards and European, in general, situated in Dominican Republic.