EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MEASURING INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION: CONCEPTS AND METHODS

Measuring of international migration flows through administrative registers:

the Mexican experience

INEGIFrancisco J. Gutiérrez

New York, 4-7 December, 2006

Administrative registers

Among the different types of administrative records that are regularly used to generate statistics on international migratory flows, Mexico processes those related with issuance of residence or exit permit, and those which are taken at ports of entry and departure from the country.

Legal framework

According to the General Population Law, the National Institute of Migration (INM1) is in charge of:

A.- Authorizing the foreigners’ entrance to the country and to define their migratory condition or its change;

B.- Being aware and record the entry and exit movements both for nationals and foreigners;

C.- Generating statistics about this issue.

1INAMI= Acronym in Spanish. Stands for Instituto Nacional de Migración.

A.- Authorizing the foreigners’ entrance to the country and to define their migratory condition or its change;

Migratory’ conditions

Mexican Law establishes that foreigners entering the country must be classified under one of the three following conditions :

– Non-immigrant– Immigrant– Immigrated

Most foreigners enter the country as Non-immigrants (Tourists and Visitors)

Non-immigrants Immigrants

Immigrated

Temporary stay

Final residence in the country

Final stay intention

In the opposite case, they could remain as

Non-immigrants

For acquiring the final residence rights the status of Immigrated must be obtained

It is possible to obtain authorization to enter the country for family formation or reunification

Those who have intentions to settle in the country apply for a change in their migratory status to Immigrants

In order to obtain the status of Immigrated it is necessary the specific declaration from the Ministry of the Interior

Migratory Conditions Cycle

I. Non-immigrant population

This condition is for foreigners wishing to enter temporary into the country under the permission of INM. It includes:

– Tourists– Persons in transit (transmigrants) – Visitors – Ministers of cult or religious associated – Political asylum-seekers or refugees– Students– Distinguished visitors– Local visitors– Provisional visitors– Correspondents

At the same time Visitors must be classified as:

• Business and Investors• Technicians and scientists• Resident pensioners • Professionals• Trustworthy persons• Human Rights Observers• Electoral processes Observers• Counselors • Artists or Sportsman/woman• Other visitors

Non-immigrants with and agreement to enter the country: Requirements

FME FMTTV Passport Economic capacity Application form Duration of stay Renovation

Tourist1 Six months

Transmigrates1 Three months

Visitors1 One year

Minister of cult or religious Associated One year

Political asylum-seeker Undefined

Refugee Undefined

Student One year

Distinguished visitor Six months

Local visitor2 Three days

Provisional visitor Thirty days

Correspondent One year

1 For U. S. and Canadian citizens the passport is not required, but INAMI recommends its use in order to enter the country.

Non-immigrants without an agreement to enter the country: Requirements

FME FMTTV Passport Economic support Visa Application form

Tourist1

Transmigrates1

Visitors1

Minister of cult or religious Associated

Political asylum-seeker

Refugee

Student

Distinguished visitor

Local visitor2

Provisional visitor

Correspondent

1 For U. S. and Canadian citizens the passport is not required, but INAMI recommends its use in order to enter the country.2 The visitor must have an identif ication card from the border countries.

II. Immigrant population

This is a transit situation comprising all foreigners wishing to enter legally into the country for the first time with the intention to reside in it, or those who have entered the country as Non-immigrants and presently want a change in their status:– Resident pensioners– Investors– Professionals – Trustworthy persons– Scientists– Technicians– Family members– Artist and sports professionals

Non-immigrants

• Tourists • Persons in transit• Visitors • Ministers of cult • Political asylum seekers

• Refugees• Students• Distinguished visitors

• Local visitors• Provisional visitors• Correspondents

Immigrants

• Resident pensioners

• Investors• Professionals• Trustworthy

persons• Scientists• Technicians• Family

members• Artist and

sports professionals

Public policies’ intention: a selective migration

National Interest

III. Immigrated population

Foreigners who have been living in the country for more than 5 years as immigrants, and now they want to have Mexico as their permanent residence, and count for it with the INAMI authorization.

Categories related with international migration recommendations

Non-immigrants Immigrants Immigrated

• Tourist • Person in transit • Local visitor • Provisional visitor • Human Rights Observer or electoral processes

• Technician

• Family members All of them

• Resident pensioner • Investor • Professional • Trustworthy person • Scientist

• Artist or sportsmen or woman

• Visitors • Minister of cult • Political asylum-seeker • Refugee• Student• Distinguished visitor• Correspondent

There are not international migrants

It depends on the duration of the stay

There are international migrants

B.- To be aware and record the entry and exit movements both for nationals and foreigners

(registration forms)

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This form is filled together with FME form by foreigners when they arrive to

the country by air or through a maritime

port.

(Movements registration of tourist,

transmigrant, business visitor or councilor visitor)

Another non-immigrants (visitors, ministers of cult, political asylum seekers, refugees, students and correspondents)

have a document to register their arrivals to or departures from the country.

To collect information about movements

Duplicate form. Foreigners hand in one copy to the authorities upon arrival and return the duplicate at the time of departure.

Duplicate form for nationals. It allows to know the length of the stay or absence.

The FMVA card is an issuance of a work farm border permit.

The FMVL card is used for Guatemalan temporary visitors (excursionists) to the Chiapas state.

Other movements registered

– Issuance of work permits (to Guatemalans).

– Official clearance of departing migrant farm workers (to go to Canada).

– Apprehensions and deportations of foreigners and nationals.

– National Foreigners Register.

C.- To generate statistics about migrants and movements.

About migrant flows

• Mexico’s administrative records do not permit to know the stock of foreigners or immigrants.

• Statistics about immigrant and immigrated people (inflows) are obtained from the internment and residence permits.

• Statistics about emigrants are not reliable enough, because some of the exits are not declared.

About inflow and outflow movements

• Statistics about movements are collected by the forms FMTTV and FME . They include migrants and non-migrants.

• They are gathered at the time of arrival or departure of foreigners and nationals.

• They lack information to consider them as a short or long term immigrants.

Some results: Immigrated flows

Some results: Movements

TOTAL FLOW

FOREIGNERS

TouristsMaritime Local VisitorsLocal VisitorsBusiness VisitorsVisitorsTransmigrantsFarm Workers VisitorsVisitors or ConsultantsForeign DiplomaticsStudents, ScholarsProvisional VisitorsMinisters of Cult Distinguished VisitorsCorrespondentsPolitical Asylum-SeekersRefugeesLanded ImmigrantsImmigrants

NATIONALSSettled in the countrySettled abroad

Note: Preliminary information.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Migración.

2004 2005 INFLOWS

8,746,906 8,953,915

20,730,81019,614,710

1,234,248 1,173,459

327,310 353,537

212,286 231,345

114,167 87,219

41,894 45,518

86,309 107,530

5,056 5,272

4,879 5,129

934 4,742

846 973

280 543

91 41

2 5

0 4

34,829 36,297

33,987 39,475

4,428,437

2,561,236 3,445,083

872,952 983,354

3,434,188

2004 2005

7,847,721 8,894,405

23,048,898 25,159,247

8,770,686 9,685,806

17,264,210 18,396,560

19,927,275 21,727,941

8,804,773 8,837,549

225,914 249,393

0 0

39 36

64,645 83,222

3,386 4,205

2,128,712 2,784,489

5,294 6,206

894 4,359

23 0

155 370

167,752 202,387

0 1

0 0

98,514 59,772

663 799

OUTFLOWS

534,353 546,892

22,423

2,663,065 3,331,381

24,148 31,433

20,289