New regional guide on displacement & migration statistics for Latin America and the Caribbean, endorsed by CEA-CEPAL

The guide proposes a regional typology for classifying different situations of human mobility, differentiating, for statistical purposes, between internal forced displacement, asylum, international migration, temporary mobility, and returns. Temporary mobility (migration in transit) refers to persons whose mobility does not imply a permanent change of habitual residence. This includes seasonal migrant workers, itinerant persons, nomads, as well as asylum seekers or displaced persons in transit who do not meet the minimum duration criterion to be considered international migrants. This group is often rendered invisible in conventional statistics, despite its relevance for the planning of services and the protection of rights.

The Guide highlights the need for a mechanism for unique identification, ideally through combinations of variables that allow each record to be uniquely individualised (a unique code for each person). Another set of fundamental variables corresponds to basic demographic data, particularly age and sex. It is also considered essential to record the previous usual place of residence and the current usual place of residence. The date of displacement constitutes another indispensable piece of information, as it allows knowing when the event occurred. Finally, it is recommended to include the reason for displacement, which allows identifying the main cause that forced the person or family group to leave their place of residence. Together, the different variables serve as a common basis for defining the universe of analysis and harmonising the categories used in the statistical instruments of the countries. It also highlights the importance of using operational definitions adapted to national contexts while maintaining a basic alignment with international frameworks.

It is recommended that specific questions be incorporated into population censuses to enable the identification of displaced persons and refugees. This includes considering the previous place of residence, the reasons for the change of residence, and the relationship to situations of violence, conflict, or disasters. Censuses can provide this crucial information provided that the questions are properly designed and inclusion is factor in from the mapping to the analysis stages.

The guide proposes various strategies for incorporating forced displacement and asylum into national surveys. These include the use of modules inserted into socioeconomic surveys and the implementation of specialised surveys. It is recommended to define the universe of analysis based on mobility trajectories, establish clear and harmonised inclusion criteria, and formulate questions that are sensitive to different experiences of displacement. Approaches to sampling and fieldwork are also suggested, especially in contexts where these populations are difficult to capture.

Administrative registers constitute a fundamental source for the production of statistics on international migration and forced displacement, especially in contexts where censuses and surveys face increasing operational, financial, or coverage limitations. These datasets, initially collected for administrative and operational purposes, enable continuous monitoring of migratory dynamics and provide detailed and up-to-date information on individual characteristics, mobility trajectories, and protection situations; moreover, they represent an important source for the timely updating of population registers.

Among the most commonly used registers are those related to residence, work, study, or health permits, as well as registers of asylum seekers and refugees. These allow not only for estimating the size of documented foreign populations and migratory flows, but also for analyzing individual trajectories over time, including status changes and length of stay. When integrated with surveys, censuses, or other administrative records, the analysis can be enriched by incorporating additional information on socioeconomic conditions, educational level, employment status, access to services, specific needs, and perceptions of the affected population.

The minimum elements that administrative records must have for statistical use include: consistent identifiers, basic characterisation and quality variables, interoperability between institutions, and traceability of trajectories. The guide further recommends moving towards the creation of a Statistical Registry of Migrant and Displaced Populations that integrates scattered sources from different institutions through technical and regulatory mechanisms. Such a register can connect in a single system all persons who have experienced a change of usual residence, whether within the national territory (internal migration) or to or from abroad (international migration), regardless of whether such displacement was voluntary or forced.

Mechanisms are proposed to link statistics on forced displacement and asylum with national migration statistics systems and with the monitoring processes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This involves mapping existing indicators, identifying information gaps, incorporating relevant variables into available sources, and using SDG monitoring frameworks as opportunities to make these populations visible. It promotes an inclusive interpretation of the SDGs.

Across all recommendations, the guide incorporates gender and intersectionality perspectives. This translates into concrete suggestions for disaggregating data, adapting the design of instruments, considering differentiated vulnerability conditions, and avoiding the reproduction of stereotypes. It insists that producing statistics with a gender and intersectionality perspective is not an additional task, but a fundamental condition for making the data relevant and useful.

The guide incorporates methodological innovations aimed at strengthening the analytical and operational capacity of statistical systems to capture human mobility in all its complexity. It highlights the analysis of mobility trajectories as a tool for understanding the dynamic processes of displacement, asylum, and migration, beyond traditional classifications. It also promotes the complementary use of traditional and non-traditional sources, including administrative records, surveys, censuses and data from non-state actors, under rigorous validation and quality control mechanisms.

Within this framework, techniques for data integration and linking are promoted, allowing different sources to be combined, improving consistency between them and generating more complete estimates on migrants, displaced persons and refugees. These innovations, together with the application of international standards for interoperability and quality assurance, contribute to producing timelier and more comparable and useful information for the design and monitoring of evidence-based public policies.

The Guide highlights the need to establish coordination mechanisms between the different institutions that produce, record, or use information on human mobility. It recognises the fundamental role of the Human Mobility Committee as a technical space for inter-institutional coordination. This committee aligns definitions, establishes common standards, defines information flows, and advances the construction of integrated records. Statistical governance appears as a key condition for ensuring the sustainability and strategic use of data.

It is essential to ensure confidentiality and protection of personal data according to international ethical and regulatory principles. This includes using anonymisation and encryption techniques, as well as protocols for restricted access to sensitive information. Additionally, an appropriate periodicity should be established for data collection.

The guide also offers guidance on the responsible dissemination of the data generated, with an emphasis on preventing stigmatisation and strengthening the statistical culture. It promotes communication that contributes to the visibility of rights, brings data closer to decision-makers and civil society, and reinforces trust in the institutions responsible for statistical production.