Sample Surveys and Population Censuses as Data Sources on the Second Generation of Migrants: Foreign Experience

Abstract

The increasing role of migration in the world makes the integration of migrants into host societies a crucial social process. In the long run, integration is closely related to the topic of the second generation of migrants and their relative well-being in society. In Russia, which attracts a large number of migrants, the integration of the second generation is also very important but the understanding of it is fragmented due to the small number of relevant studies. The task of obtaining relevant data on migrants' descendants and their participation in social and economic life requires taking into account the wealth of foreign experience in studying this topic.This paper provides an overview of approaches to the study of the second generation of migrants in the United States, Canada and Western European countries. The review is based on analytical and methodological publications of national statistical agencies and international organizations (UN, OECD, Eurostat), metadata from special sample surveys and a number of academic articles. The authors discusses the main data sources used to estimate the number of second-generation migrants and to provide information on their socio-economic characteristics, such as censuses and microcensuses, regular labour force surveys and ad hoc sample surveys. The article describes nuances in the definition and evolution of the concept of «second generation» in the national statistical systems. The results of studies on the social mobility of descendants of immigrants are summarised.In conclusion, we offer practical recommendations for modernizing the system of statistical recording of migration in Russia based on the long-term foreign experience of studying the second generation of migrants.