Measuring Migration Conference 2022 Proceedings
Measuring Migration Conference 2022 Proceedings
Contributor(s): Christina Pao (Editor), Maksim Zubok (Editor)
Subject(s): Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: asylum; borders; immigration; integration; labour migration; measuring migration; migration, migration law; migration policy; Pao; refugee law; refugees; remittances; selected papers; xenophobia
Summary/Abstract: The conference, “Measuring Migration: How? When? Why?”, was an interdisciplinary and international venue for academics, practitioners, and students to explore the idea of “measuring” migration” using a variety of methods from interdisciplinary perspectives. Participants explored the ethics and implications of what it means to track migratory flows and discussed when this might be appropriate and why these data are helpful/harmful. This conference was hosted in hybrid format online and in-person at the University of Oxford on June 9-10, 2022 (Oxford, England, UK) and was sponsored by MigrationOxford (previously known as the Migration and Mobility Network) and Nuffield College. There were over 300 participants registered from around the world, spanning six continents and dozens of institutions. There were over 30 paper presentations on 10 panels and four keynote addresses/panels that took place over the two days. The proceedings included in this volume cover the majority of the papers presented.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-1-80135-181-2
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-1-80135-180-5
- Page Count: 109
- Publication Year: 2022
- Language: English
Migration Networks: An Application for Measuring Migration
Migration Networks: An Application for Measuring Migration
(Migration Networks: An Application for Measuring Migration)
- Author(s):Ivette Contreras-Gonzalez
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
- Page Range:9-14
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Migration Networks; Application; Measuring Migration; Migration; Networks;
- Summary/Abstract:Former immigrants are widely believed to pave the way for new immigrants and to influence their life decisions in host countries. The groups of immigrants are usually called immigrants enclaves or networks. These networks play several roles, such as reducing migration costs and uncertainty. Previous research finds that networks’ members can provide referrals so that new migrants can get new jobs easily (Munshi, 2003).
Use of non-traditional data sources to nowcast migration trends through Artificial Intelligence technologies
Use of non-traditional data sources to nowcast migration trends through Artificial Intelligence technologies
(Use of non-traditional data sources to nowcast migration trends through Artificial Intelligence technologies)
- Author(s):Diletta Goglia, Laura Pollacci, Alina Sîrbu
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies, ICT Information and Communications Technologies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
- Page Range:15-21
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:non-traditional; data sources; nowcast migration trends; Artificial Intelligence technologies;
- Summary/Abstract:In recent years the pursuit of original drivers and methods is becoming an increasing requirement for migration studies, considering the new technologies used to characterise and understand the human migration phenomenon. In addition to the traditional data typically used in migration studies (e.g., indicators related to the labour market or economic status, measures obtained from surveys and official statistics, either from national censuses or from the population registries), many researchers like Bosco et al. (2022), Fiorio et al. (2017), Gendronneau et al. (2019), Jisu, Sîrbu, Rossetti, Giannotti, and Rapoport (2021), Salah (2021), Spyratos et al. (2018), Sîrbu et al. (2021), Zagheni, Garimella, Weber, and State (2014), Zagheni, Polimis, Alexander, Weber, and Billari (2018), Zagheni, Weber, and Gummadi (2017), have proposed to employ non-traditional data sources to study migration. These can consist in news data, satellite data, but also in digital traces of humans generated by using internet services, mobile phones, IoT devices, fidelity cards, online social networks and many others. This unconventional approach is intended to find an alternative methodology to answer open questions about the human migration framework (i.e., nowcasting flows and stocks, studying the integration of multiple sources and knowledge, and investigating migration drivers). The new data have the advantage of timeliness and large geographical coverage, but also disadvantages in terms of selection bias and amount of resources required to process, as reported by Sîrbu et al. (2021) and Pollacci, Milli, Bircan, and Rossetti (2022). Therefore, models extracted from these data need to be carefully validated, typically with traditional data sources. In this context of meaningful data combination, many types of data exist, still very scattered and heterogeneous, making integration far from straightforward.
Mapping Environmental Racism: Hydroelectric Power and the Ongoing Displacement of Maroon-descended Communities in Vale do Ribeira, Brazil
Mapping Environmental Racism: Hydroelectric Power and the Ongoing Displacement of Maroon-descended Communities in Vale do Ribeira, Brazil
(Mapping Environmental Racism: Hydroelectric Power and the Ongoing Displacement of Maroon-descended Communities in Vale do Ribeira, Brazil)
- Author(s):Diego de Jesus Santos
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Energy and Environmental Studies, Physical Geopgraphy, Social differentiation
- Page Range:22-25
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Mapping Environmental Racism; Hydroelectric Power; Displacement; Maroon-descended Communities; Vale do Ribeira; Brazil; Racism;
- Summary/Abstract:The twelve hydrographic regions located in Brazilian territory occupy an area of more than eight million square kilometers. They permeate metropolises and rural areas, forest areas and reserves, are the main source of income for riverside communities, support the livelihood of indigenous peoples, provide water for the agricultural industry or agricultural products, and bring electricity to the homes of millions of Brazilians through the production of hydraulic energy generated through water flows. The river, therefore, has outsize geographical impact, and I also think of the river as a methodology for a geohistory written in the course of its waters, recounting lives and livelihoods, and taking us through a Brazil which is shaped by the banks of its rivers and seas.
De-migranticizing Migrancy: Approaching Migration and (In)mobility Analysis through Rhizomatic Thinking, Feminist Epistemes and the Embodied Experience of Migration
De-migranticizing Migrancy: Approaching Migration and (In)mobility Analysis through Rhizomatic Thinking, Feminist Epistemes and the Embodied Experience of Migration
(De-migranticizing Migrancy: Approaching Migration and (In)mobility Analysis through Rhizomatic Thinking, Feminist Epistemes and the Embodied Experience of Migration)
- Author(s):Renato de Almeida Arão Galhardi
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
- Page Range:27-30
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:De-migranticizing Migrancy; Migration; (In)mobility; Analysis through Rhizomatic Thinking; Feminist Epistemes; Embodied Experience of Migration;
- Summary/Abstract:Despite the widely accepted argument to abandon methodological nationalism in international migration analysis (Wimmer and Schiller, 2003), much of the analysis that primes migration policies around the world still speak through the Nation-State (Bommes and Thränhardt, 2012; Dahinden, 2016). How, then, can migration research attend and attest to the critique of methodological nationalism? One way to do so is to de-migranticize migration analysis. By taking feminist epistemologies and methodologies seriously in migration analysis, and thinking “rhizomatically”, it becomes possible to de-centre epistemic normative reproductions of migration descriptions, and create better narratives of migration phenomena, that embody migration over national methodological constraints and frameworks.
“Why is it so difficult to capture a hyper-mobile workforce? Reflections from field research about atypical migration in Poland”
“Why is it so difficult to capture a hyper-mobile workforce? Reflections from field research about atypical migration in Poland”
(“Why is it so difficult to capture a hyper-mobile workforce? Reflections from field research about atypical migration in Poland”)
- Author(s):Kamil Matuszczyk
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Labor relations, Migration Studies
- Page Range:31-35
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:hyper-mobile; workforce; field research; atypical migration; Poland;
- Summary/Abstract:While the size of migrant population in a particular country is portrayed as a ‘hard-to-survey population’, there are sectors where the very nature of the work and circumstances make it impossible to measure it (Massey 2014; Abrantes 2015), such as the household sector and agriculture. Temporariness, the need for flexibility, informality and labor intensiveness are features of this sector. Operating in the shadow economy makes it virtually impossible to estimate the number of foreign workers in these two sectors. This challenge is caused by the workers disappearing from the official registers and difficulties in empirical research. Certain daily practices make it impossible to measure how many workers work for a given employer at a time. However, explaining this methodological difficulty only with undeclared work in the informal economy is too general and impoverishes the understanding of hypermobility of workers in low-skilled labour (i.e. jobs characterised by low prestige, low salaries, ease of obtaining, lack of formal requirements for candidates' qualifications).
Addressing inequalities: The collection of race statistics. A comparison between the European and the British approach to population registers
Addressing inequalities: The collection of race statistics. A comparison between the European and the British approach to population registers
(Addressing inequalities: The collection of race statistics. A comparison between the European and the British approach to population registers)
- Author(s):Iris Egea Quijada
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Demography and human biology, Migration Studies
- Page Range:37-40
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Addressing; inequalities; the collection of race statistics; European; British approach; population; registers;
- Summary/Abstract:Population registers collect relevant information about the migrant stock. Despite their formal formats, they are context-dependent and tied to the historical arrangements and social forces of each country (Simon, 2012). At the European level, there is no single approach to data collection. Recently, due to rising racism and inequalities, the collection of race statistics in population registers has triggered debate. In fact, in the field of migration studies, race is a highly contentious concept because its interpretation depends on specific contexts (Jacobs, 2018).
Ethical Concerns of Searching Female Newcomer's Experiences: Reflections from the Field
Ethical Concerns of Searching Female Newcomer's Experiences: Reflections from the Field
(Ethical Concerns of Searching Female Newcomer's Experiences: Reflections from the Field)
- Author(s):Fadi Hasan
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Ethics / Practical Philosophy
- Page Range:41-45
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:Ethical Concerns; Searching Female Experiences; Reflections from the Field;
- Summary/Abstract:“Will the research make life even harder to cope with because sad memories and thoughts are revived? Is the researcher exploiting persons in a vulnerable position?” (Dyregrov et al., 2000). These fundamental questions indicate that conducting research on experiences of females with refugee background presents several serious challenges fraught with both ethical dilemmas and the possibility of potential harm to respondents (Bailey and Williams, 2018). The current literature is abundant with ethical guidelines. However, it often provides general guidance and is limited in specific practical contexts (Arifin, 2018).
The Challenges of Producing Migration-related Information in the Context of COVID-19 from a Human Rights Approach: The Case of the First National Migration Survey in Argentina
The Challenges of Producing Migration-related Information in the Context of COVID-19 from a Human Rights Approach: The Case of the First National Migration Survey in Argentina
(The Challenges of Producing Migration-related Information in the Context of COVID-19 from a Human Rights Approach: The Case of the First National Migration Survey in Argentina)
- Author(s):Natalia Debandi
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies
- Page Range:47-50
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Challenges of Producing; Migration-related Information; COVID-19; Human Rights Approach; First National Migration; Survey in Argentina;
- Summary/Abstract:Argentina is a country with a long history of receiving migrants, but there is an important gap in the production of updated data on the situation and characteristics of this population. This article presents the National Migrant Survey of Argentina, a survey conducted from a practical human rights approach in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Power of Categorization: Reflections on UNHCR’s Category of ‘Venezuelans Displaced Abroad’
The Power of Categorization: Reflections on UNHCR’s Category of ‘Venezuelans Displaced Abroad’
(The Power of Categorization: Reflections on UNHCR’s Category of ‘Venezuelans Displaced Abroad’)
- Author(s):Luisa Feline Freier
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
- Page Range:51-54
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:The Power of Categorization; Reflections on UNHCR’s Category; of ‘Venezuelans Displaced Abroad’;
- Summary/Abstract:The Venezuelan exodus is the second biggest displacement scenario in the world and meets three out of the five elements of the refugee definition of the regional 1984 Cartagena Declaration, which most countries in the region have incorporated into their national legislation. However, numbers of both Venezuelan asylum seekers and recognized refugees remain extremely low. In this context, the UNHCR created the category ‘Venezuelans displaced abroad’, which was first introduced in its 2019 Global Trends Report. Acknowledging the large percentage of Venezuelans who remain outside of the asylum system, the UNHCR maintains that this group is entitled to international protection. However, they are not officially counted as asylum seekers, refugees or ‘others of concern to the UNHCR’. Based on 16 elite interviews this research explores the following questions: How has the category of ‘Venezuelans displaced abroad’ affected the sense- and decision-making of both representatives of international organizations and policy makers, and in how far did the category shape Peru’s policy reactions to Venezuelan displacement?
Migration Data: Evidence for Making Reintegration Policy in Nepal
Migration Data: Evidence for Making Reintegration Policy in Nepal
(Migration Data: Evidence for Making Reintegration Policy in Nepal)
- Author(s):Anurag Devkota
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies
- Page Range:55-58
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Migration Data; Evidence; Reintegration Policy; Nepal; Migration;
- Summary/Abstract:Nepal has emerged as one of the most prominent countries of origin for foreign labor where “an average of 1,500 Nepalese migrant workers officially leave Nepal every day for foreign employment”(UN Human Rights Council, 2019). This number is significantly larger when considering the high levels of migration from Nepal through unofficial channels. The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) reports that a total of 190,453 new labour permits were issued to Nepali migrant workers for foreign employment in countries other than India between 2019 and 2020.2 The number of labour permits were reduced to 72,081 (7,178 women and 64,903 men) between 2020 to 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic (Department of Foreign Employment, 2021). However, recently the country has witnessed an exponential rise in foreign labour migration, where 55,5233 migrant workers from Nepal obtained a labour permit in just one month, between March and April of 2022 (Department of Foreign Employment, 2022).
Mapping policymaker perspectives of the climate security-migration nexus in Nigeria: a social media analysis
Mapping policymaker perspectives of the climate security-migration nexus in Nigeria: a social media analysis
(Mapping policymaker perspectives of the climate security-migration nexus in Nigeria: a social media analysis)
- Author(s):Bia Carneiro, Tanaya Dutta Gupta, Giuliano Resce, Peter Läderach, Grazia Pacillo
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication, Migration Studies
- Page Range:59-65
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Mapping policymaker perspectives; climate security-migration nexus; Nigeria; social media analysis;
- Summary/Abstract:Despite growing attention around the climate security-migration nexus, the linkages between climate change, migration, and conflict and security risks have remained a matter of debate for research, policy, and practice (Brzoska & Fröhlich, 2016; Boas et al., 2019). Attempts at gathering empirical evidence on this nexus (Abel et al., 2019), as well as global level policy instruments (IOM, 2018), have mainly focused on international contexts. At national and sub-national scales, interest and awareness around this nexus (von Uexkull & Buhaug, 2021; IPCC 2022) has yet to be reflected in the policy arena. Not only are the development of policies for national and human security and for climate adaptation and mitigation often detached, they largely fail to consider the complex pathways that connect these two dimensions with human mobility and immobility.
A Collective Deep Map Representation Tool to Produce Knowledge on Intellectual Exile
A Collective Deep Map Representation Tool to Produce Knowledge on Intellectual Exile
(A Collective Deep Map Representation Tool to Produce Knowledge on Intellectual Exile)
- Author(s):Maissam Nimer
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies
- Page Range:67-70
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Collective Deep Map; Representation Tool; Produce Knowledge; Intellectual; Exile;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper aims to produce knowledge about so-called qualified migrations through a collective project entitled Géo-récits situated at the intersection of several disciplines, namely anthropology, sociology, political science, history and geography. The qualification of highly qualified migrants is contextual and socially constructed and thus not straightforward to define. In this paper, it is defined as individuals with diverse forms of cultural capital: institutionalized culture capital (diplomas, employment…) or incorporated (knowledge of political and social context, through activism, militantism or art) (Bourdieu, 1979 and Matonti and Poupeau, 2004). This definition thus includes militant resources, and learnings imported from other environments or progressively acquired through engagement or experiences in militantism in the political field. Studies in the field of sociology of migration usually insist on the brain drain aspect, and qualified migrants in exile are usually rarely studied, as their skills are often considered as not much adapted to the labour market, or disqualified. The particular characteristics of forced exile on their trajectories after exile are not explored.
One swallow does not a summer make: politics and the interpretation of ABS migration data in South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic
One swallow does not a summer make: politics and the interpretation of ABS migration data in South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic
(One swallow does not a summer make: politics and the interpretation of ABS migration data in South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic)
- Author(s):Garry Goddard, Adam Graycar, Romy Wasserman, George Tan
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Politics / Political Sciences, Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies
- Page Range:71-76
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:One swallow does not a summer make; politics; interpretation of ABS migration; South Australia; COVID-19; pandemic;
- Summary/Abstract:In Australia interstate migration is highly competitive and politically contentious, and thus measurement is important. This paper examines the political use of official – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – migration statistics in the State of South Australia (SA) during the COVID-19 pandemic, where a (small) reversal in long-term interstate migration trends has occurred.
Restriction of the right to freedom of movement: Migration, pandemic, and the Aegean border regime
Restriction of the right to freedom of movement: Migration, pandemic, and the Aegean border regime
(Restriction of the right to freedom of movement: Migration, pandemic, and the Aegean border regime)
- Author(s):Panagiotis Mavroudis
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
- Page Range:77-81
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:Restriction; freedom; movement; Migration, pandemic; Aegean border regime;
- Summary/Abstract:The COVID-19 pandemic shook medical and healthcare standards in the global north, and recontextualised considerations about human rights tenets in the syndemic of social inequality (Horton, 2020). For racialised poor who already faced the “continental quarantining” of European borders (Achiume, 2019, as cited in Meer, 2022, p. 102) the coronavirus emergency compounded existing challenges of multiple bordering and xenophobic discourse (OHCHR, 2020). This paper aims to trace continuities, intersections, and new challenges of addressing exclusion for racialised migrants by taking the mobility regulation in the recent reception-asylum and pandemic-related legislation in the Greek Aegean border islands as a case study.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the United Kingdom’s Immigration Detention System
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the United Kingdom’s Immigration Detention System
(The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the United Kingdom’s Immigration Detention System)
- Author(s):Ayesha Riaz
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies
- Page Range:83-86
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Impact; COVID-19 Pandemic; United Kingdom’s Immigration Detention System; United Kingdom;
- Summary/Abstract:Unlike most European countries, the United Kingdom (UK) has not legislated a statutory upper time limit regarding the period an individual can be held in immigration detention (All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, 2016). In fact, the UK detains three times more individuals in immigration detention as compared to other European Member States (Association of Visitors of Immigration Detainees, 2019).
Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Pandemic Effect on Migration Aspirations Using Panel Data in Poland
Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Pandemic Effect on Migration Aspirations Using Panel Data in Poland
(Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Pandemic Effect on Migration Aspirations Using Panel Data in Poland)
- Author(s):Sébastien Michiels, David Doyle, Evelyn Ersanilli, Olga Onuch, Gwendolyn Sasse, Jacquelien van Stekelenburg, Sorana Toma
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Health and medicine and law, Migration Studies
- Page Range:87-90
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:The Pandemic Effect on Migration; Aspirations Using; Poland; Pandemic; Migration;
- Summary/Abstract:Has the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic altered migration decision-making and if so, has it dampened or heightened the desire to leave one’s home country?
Leveraging Open Sources to Estimate Migration Movements During Crises
Leveraging Open Sources to Estimate Migration Movements During Crises
(Leveraging Open Sources to Estimate Migration Movements During Crises)
- Author(s):Kirstie Bosman, Beth James, Rebecca Kitchen, Matt Zelina
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Migration Studies
- Page Range:91-98
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Migration Movements; Crises; Migration; policy;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper provides a set of guiding principles for using open sources to estimate the scale of migration movements, specifically to inform time-sensitive policy decisions in contexts of unfolding crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.5 We focus on movements towards the EU. Our aim is not to uncover the full truth, which would require more robust research, but rather to best approximate, to inform practitioners responding to emergencies under time and intelligence constraints.
