Surveying Ethnic Minorities and Migrants. A Legal Framework for Collecting Data and Other Methodological Issues

Compared to the general population, researchers face a number of specific challenges when conducting surveys of immigrant and ethnic minority populations. Among the reasons for this added complexity is the fact that migrants and ethnic minorities (EMMs) are typically small in number, while their living conditions and legal statuses are often precarious. Although Font and Méndez (2013) have addressed many of the methodological challenges involved in surveying EMMs, their book does not review the legal framework surrounding survey research with popu- lation categories that are considered “sensitive.” Legal regulations designed to protect individ- ual liberties and personal data has significant implications for survey design when it restricts access to such populations and to information regarding ethnic background, religion, or race. This is a particularly significant concern for researchers using quantitative surveys. Working Group 3 (WG3) was asked to reflect on these challenges before analyzing the results of the sur- vey mapping conducted by WG1 and WG2. This report describes the background for collecting data concerning EMMs in Europe by: 1. Emphasizing the relevant EU legal frameworks pertaining to data collection in the EU and some of their implications for conducting surveys of immigrants and ethnic minorities. 2. Reviewing and evaluating the empirical knowledge underlying these frameworks and specific data collection, analysis, and reporting practices. 3. Providing an overview of the methodological challenges faced by researchers who survey EMMs. 4. Alerting EMM survey data producers and data users to the range of integration indicators that could inform their future data production and data analysis efforts