Mapping Stakeholders' Needs and Usage of Irregular Migration Data

The field of irregular migration is characterised by the absence or scarcity of reliable, comparable, and high-quality data. Against this backdrop, this concept note sketches the various challenges connected to using data on irregular migration, assesses the complex and multifaceted context in which many actors rely on such data, and presents examples of how data have already been used. Given the overall scarcity of adequate data, policymakers, service providers and other potential data users are frequently confronted with a comparably weak evidence base that has considerable impacts on their ability to develop or evaluate policies, allocate resources, and contribute to the political discourse. Yet even in the rare instances where data are available, there are obstacles for users. Concerns relate especially to a lack of agreement on what constitutes irregularity, comparability across countries and time, data quality, the selective availability of certain type of data but not others, and whether existing estimates – even when they are incomplete or biased – constitute a sufficient evidence base to work with. How data on irregular migration is produced and collected plays an important role in shaping the potential and actual usage of the data. On the one hand, stakeholders’ data needs and their concepts of irregular migration play an important role in shaping how irregular migration is defined and how the data is collected. On the other hand, the availability and quality of irregular migration data also shape how data can and cannot be used. Starting from the importance of recognising the two-way relationship between data production and data usage, the note further develops the role of data in decision-making, strategic and operational planning, identification of policy needs, good governance, promotion of dialogue and innovation, and research. Through use cases of stakeholders working on or with irregular migrant populations, it is shown how stakeholders use data, for example, to forecast future irregular migration flows to the EU, plan services for irregular migrant populations, estimate stocks of irregular migrants, measure policy effectiveness, and to hold governments accountable. Finally, the production, usage, and sharing of data on irregular migrants is impacted by political priorities, competition for funding, ethical and legal considerations, and other interests. These can lead to inefficiencies in formulating adequate policies that address irregular migration, but often appear out of a gridlock that helps to maintain the status quo. Political authorities might be guided by electoral goals or intentions to avoid public or parliamentary scrutiny. In addition, ethical concerns exist around sharing information about a vulnerable population that oftentimes risks deportation if identified. Lastly, financial considerations, such as securing additional funding, also impact data usage