Migrant

Definition
Strands: Statistics, Demographics & Economics
Key Areas: Migration & Minority Demographics/Statistics, Migration & Minority Economics
Countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Estonia

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There is no official definition of migration in the European Union. The term describes the process of persons moving across borders to live and work and generally implies non-EU citizens moving into or within the EU.

The RED Network adopts the UN definition for migrants regarding data collection and reporting, keeping in mind the different treatment and statuses of third country nationals in different EU Member States:

An international migrant is any person who changes his or her country of usual residence. (see end of page)

The  Term “migrant” is not readily accepted by some countries since it may mean entirely different things to different countries implying different legal obligations.

Below follow further definitions for migrant populations used for census and demographic-statsitic purposes internationally:

 

International migrant stock
(Definition for stock)

The set of persons who have ever changed their country of usual residence. that is Persons who have spent at least one year of their lives in a country other than the one in which they live at the time the data were gathered.

Subpopulations:

•          Foreign-born – persons born in a country other than the one in which they live as of usual residence

•          Foreigners – living in a country

Foreign population of a country: “all persons who have that country as country of usual residence and who are the citizens of another country.”

The ‘migrant stock’ does not include:

•          Temporary migrants

•          Undocumented migrants

•          Population stock with “foreign background”

•          Second-generation immigrants (not really migrants)

 

International migrant
(Definition of flows)

The UN Recommendations distinguishes two groups of migrants by duration of stay:

•          Long-term migrant

•          A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence.

•          Short-term migrant

•          A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3 months but less than a year (12 months), except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday, visit to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage

 

 

Categories of international migrants

Non-migrants

•          Border workers

•          In transit

•          Visitors (tourists, excursionists, business travelers)

•          Diplomatic and consular personnel

•          Military personnel

•          Nomads

 

Migrants

•          Students and trainees

•          Migrant workers

•          International civil servants

•          Migrants for family reunification or family formation

•          Migrants having free establishment or movement

•          Migrants for settlement (employment-based, family-based, ancestry-based, entrepreneurs and investors,retirees)

•          Refugees, asylum seekers, other humanitarian

 

 

Long-term migrant

UN Definition:

“A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence.

From the perspective of the country of departure the person will be a long-term emigrant and from that of the country of arrival the person will be a long-term immigrant.”

 

Short-term migrant

UN Definition:

“A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3 months but less than a year (12 months), except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday,…

From purposes of international migration statistics, the country of residence of short-term migrants is considered to be the country of destination during the period they spend in it.”

 

Country of usual residence (RSIM)

(Concept used for international migration) “The country in which a person lives, i.e., the country in which he or she has a place to live where he or she normally spends the daily period of rest. Temporary travel abroad for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage does not change a person’s country.”

RSIM notes (para. 36):

 The change of country of usual residence necessary to become an international migrant must involve a period of stay in the country of destination of at least a year

Place of usual residence

(Concept used in censuses)

Usual residence means the place at which a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage or, in default, the place of legal or registered residence.

 

References: 

Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration, Rev. 1 (1998) [RSIM] 

Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2 (2007) [P&R]