Moderator: Pieter Bevelander, Professor and Director of the Malmö Institute of Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM), Malmö University Speakers: - Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs, OECD - Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General, IOM - Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, UNDESA (Virtual Remarks) - Anders Hall, State Secretary to the Minister for Migration, Sweden - Mia Rönnmar, Vice Chancellor, Malmö University

While the importance of immigrant integration is widely acknowledged, defining and measuring integration remains complex. Integration is shaped by many interrelated factors, making it difficult to draw direct links between policies and outcomes. In response, many countries have developed national systems to monitor progress. At the international level, the EU and OECD have worked together to track the integration of immigrants and their descendants through the “Settling In” indicators, which recently expanded to Latin America in partnership with the IDB and UNDP. Labour market integration is one aspect for which measurement is more easily accessible. In many countries, it can be assessed through labour force surveys. Nonetheless, challenges persist. Despite generally having high labour force participation rates, immigrants are frequently employed in jobs below their qualification level. This is especially true among those who earned their qualifications abroad, and measuring skills—as opposed to formal qualifications—is a challenge. Language proficiency, which plays a crucial role in enabling skill transfer and broader integration, is also difficult to assess through standard survey tools. Beyond employment, there is growing recognition of the importance of social integration. This generally refers to non-economic aspects of integration such as identity and sense of belonging, discrimination, intergroup interactions and networks, attitudes and values, and civic participation. A growing number of countries have developed targeted surveys to monitor the integration of immigrants, often with a particular focus on key groups or topics. This plenary session will discuss experiences in measuring and monitoring the economic and social integration of migrants. Speakers will delve into the main findings from their work, the challenges of studying a population group that is inherently difficult to reach, and how recent advances in measuring migrant integration and inclusion have impacted policy. Moderator: Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs, OECD Introductory Remarks: Mats Persson, Minister for Employment and Integration, Sweden Speakers: - Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR - Gunilla Fincke, Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - Peter Abad Altamirano, Deputy Head of Statistics, National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, Peru

Earlier this year, the Statistical Commission endorsed the revised Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration and Temporary Mobility at its 56th Session (2025). The objective of this session is to discuss opportunities and challenges for improving the availability, timeliness and accuracy of data on international migration with national and international producers of such information, in the context of implementing the updated Recommendations. The plenary session will include interventions on: • How national statistical offices (NSOs) are using and integrating field-based, administrative and big data sources, including geospatial information, to produce statistics on international migration, and how they are operationalizing the new UN recommendations; • How technology is enabling innovative methodologies to make international migrants more visible in official statistics, and to improve data availability, timeliness and accuracy; • How data disaggregation presents both opportunities and challenges for an intersectional approach to statistics on international migration, given the extreme limitations in availability of SDGs indicators and other data disaggregated by migration status as well as other critical characteristics (migrant age and sex). Moderator: Francesca Grum, Assistant Director, UNSD Speakers: - Josée Bégin, Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Health and Labour Statistics, Statistics Canada - Marco Marsili, Population Register, Demographic Statistics, and Living Conditions, ISTAT - Graciela Martinez Caballero, Director of Statistics, Centre for Migration Studies of the Migration Policy, Registration and Identity of Persons Unit, Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), Mexico - Ali Said, Director of Population and Manpower Statistics, BPS-Statistics, Indonesia - Susanne Taillemite, Head of Unit of Population and Migration, Eurostat

Over the last decade, the transformative potential of machine learning (ML) has been increasingly recognized in migration research, not only in terms of its ability to enhance the accuracy and timeliness of migration statistics and forecasts, but also to uncover insights at the scales that traditional methods are incapable to do so. Meanwhile, the uptake of ML has also raised myriad new questions and challenges concerning, for example, data and algorithmic biases, ethical considerations, and the implications for policymaking as well as for the wellbeing of migrant populations. This panel session will present numerous case studies to demonstrate the potential of ML for migration research. While highlighting the methodological innovations, the panelists will also discuss the limitations as well as the societal impact of these state-of-the-art approaches. Distinguished panelists at the session include the founding partners of CLIMB (an international consortium pioneering in leveraging machine learning to study climate-induced migration https://climbproject.org/). In addition, the Editor-in-Chief of International Migration Review will present an overview of how migration research and models have evolved over the last decade. The panelists will bring a wealth of multidisciplinary expertise from social science, statistics, demography, agricultural science, and remote sensing. Moderator: Haodong Qi, Researcher, Malmö University Speakers: - Holly Reed, Professor & Editor-in-Chief of International Migration Review, City University New York - Laure Tall, Director, Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale, Data Population Alliance, Senegal - Stefano Iacus, Director of Data Science and Product Research, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University - Tuba Bircan, Professor, Vrije University Brussels - Stefan Lang, Professor, Professor, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg

Over the past few years, there has been growing recognition within the humanitarian sector of the need for data-driven anticipatory action, which with technological advancements and the growing availability of time-sensitive data, is becoming an increasingly important tool in the humanitarian toolkit. The practical use of migration forecasting in humanitarian settings has shown great potential to assist relief agencies in preparing contingency planning for sudden crises and ensure that the affected populations receive the help they need on time. Forced displacements caused by sudden events like natural disasters or outbreaks of armed conflict tend to be easier to model using machine learning than migration movements that are influenced by a much larger number of factors. Nevertheless, developing context-specific prediction instruments is time-consuming, and typically relies on an ensemble of prediction systems of real disaster and conflict events. This makes the cooperation and the creation of a community of practicians and actors working on predictive data for emergencies essential. This session will bring together representatives from UN agencies, other humanitarian organizations, and academia to showcase innovative approaches and methods used in the prediction of forced displacement. Moderator: Andrea Pellandra, Senior Data Scientist, UNHCR Speakers: - Katharine Donato, Donald G. Herzberg Professor of International Migration, Georgetown University - Diana Suleimenova, Lecturer in Computer Science, Brunel University of London - Bo Schwartz Madsen, Data Scientist, Danish Refugee Council - Andrew Wells, Data Scientist, UNHCR - Ahmed Amdihun, Programme Manager, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC)

Evidence-based policymaking is often considered a laudable goal – but applied to the field of irregular migration, some principal challenges arise. Irregular migration is notoriously hard to measure as it occurs outside of regulatory norms and may often go undetected, while robust data and estimates are often non-existent, outdated or incomplete. Nevertheless, data are cited in policymaking in this area, where ‘illegal border crossings’ are used as a substitute, or outdated maximum estimates are used as a ‘low bar’ by future standards. New policies are put forward that aim to fill the gap in information, for example on ‘overstayers’ or ‘secondary movements’.  This workshop aims to bring together academic and practitioner perspectives, to stimulate discussion on current knowledge of irregular migration stocks and flows, avenues for further development, and lessons from communicating this knowledge to the general public. Interventions signpost where policymakers should treat data with care, the limitations of the data they may use, and innovative new methods or means to estimate and better understand the irregular migrant population.  Moderator: Veronika Bilger, Head of Research, ICMPD Speakers: - Maegan Hendow, Senior Researcher, ICMPD - Amparo González-Ferrer, Deputy Director General for Management and Integration Pathways, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Spain - Laura Peitz, Researcher, German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees - Julia Descamps, Researcher, Université Paris 8, CRESPPA-CSU - Denis Kierans, Senior Researcher, COMPAS, University of Oxford - Albert Kraler, Assistant Professor in Migration Studies, University for Continuing Education Krems

The session will focus on emigration statistics, discussing data collection methods, challenges, innovative methods and solutions. Eurostat will provide an overview of the state of the art of emigration statistics in the European Union, highlighting the main approaches used to measure emigration and key challenges faced. Two country case studies will follow: the Italian National Institute of Statistics will present the use of the “Signs of Life” methodology to improve emigration statistics by addressing over-coverage of the Population Register; the High Commission for Planning of Morocco will share their experience in strengthening emigration statistics through National Surveys and Census innovations. A final presentation from Eurostat will focus on reconciling internal EU immigration and emigration flows for population projections. Through these presentations, addressing current issues and exploring innovative methods, the session aims to identify practical steps and examples to improve emigration statistics internationally. Moderator: Susanne Taillemite, Head of Unit - Population and Migration, Eurostat Speakers: - Andrea Succi, Statistical Officer, Eurostat - Francesca Licari, Researcher, Italian National Institute of Statistics - Karima Belhaj, Head of Population Mobility Department, High Commission for Planning of Morocco - Hannah Kiiver, Team Leader, Population Projections Team, Eurostat

Migration in Africa is natural, complex and multifaceted, and presents both opportunities and challenges for individuals, communities, states and international organizations. While people on the move contribute to economic growth, cultural enrichment, and social diversity, public concerns in Africa and Europe regarding mobility, integration, security, and resources have created a polarising narrative surrounding migration. In order to foster informed discussions and effective policymaking, it is essential to present an accurate and fully balanced narrative that encompasses both the positive contributions of migrants and the potential challenges they face during their journey. Building on a previous policy event held at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in January 2024 in Geneva, this parallel session aims to discuss the importance of using data-driven solutions and effective communication strategies to create a comprehensive understanding of migration dynamics. By bringing together insights from various organizations, the event will promote a collaborative approach to fostering a balanced narrative on migration that supports informed dialogue and policymaking. Moderator: Muhanad Sammar, Project Manager, Statistics Sweden Speakers: - Ambassador Dr. Namira Negm, Director, African Migration Observatory - Charles Ogolla, Head of Statistics Unit, The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) - Ellen Percy Kraly, Jr. Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies Emerita, Colgate University - Aimé Dago, Social Population and Demography Expert, STATAFRIC

This parallel session will explore how international organizations and academia play a role in the production of timely and accurate statistics on irregular migration flows and stocks, with a focus on European countries. Featuring insights from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix and Missing Migrants Project, the EU-funded MIRREM research, and UNODC, the speakers will discuss how data initiatives pushed forward for different programming and research purposes can enable more informed programmatic responses, by providing critical evidence to craft humane and effective migration policies. They will discuss how robust, timely data can support updating migrants’ profiles, highlight main challenges and vulnerabilities faced by those who travel irregularly, and counter misinformation. Moderator: Ivona Zakoska-Todorovska, ECA Regional Migration Data & Research Officer, IOM Speakers: - Laura Bartolini, Operations Support & Analysis Coordinator, IOM - Claire Healy, Research Officer, UNODC - Alejandra Rodriguez-Sanchez, Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Potsdam - Julia Black, Project Officer, Coordinator of Missing Migrant Project, IOM

Immigrant integration remains a cornerstone of migration policies in host countries, yet its implementation and evaluation present significant challenges. This session explores diverse dimensions of integration through four complementary perspectives, addressing the complexities of measurement, the impacts of policy interventions, and the lived experiences of immigrant populations. It begins with a critical examination of the balance between quantity and quality in integration, cautioning against approaches that may undermine long-term outcomes. The discussion then shifts to spatial considerations, analysing Denmark’s Ghetto Plan and its impact on neighbourhood composition and social dynamics. Next, the session explores the professional and residential pathways of refugees in France through the AGIR program, highlighting the role of universal support mechanisms. Finally, it examines the methodological challenges of measuring integration, introducing the Territorial Synthetic Index of Immigrant Integration as a multidimensional tool to inform policies. Moderator: Samuel Ettouati, Head of the Statistical Surveys and Studies Division, Ministry of the Interior, France Speakers: - Nadiya Ukrayinchuk, Professor of Economics, LEM, University of Lille - Yajna Govind, Assistant Professor, Copenhagen Business School - Clément Soulignac, Data Scientist, Statistical Studies and Surveys Division, Ministry of the Interior, France - Jack Jebwab, Chief Executive Officer, Metropolis Institute, Canada

This parallel session focuses on the synergies between migration and displacement statistics and discuss how regional cooperation can drive progress. Best practices and actionable strategies to build data systems that serve both migration and displacement needs will be highlighted, ensuring that no dimension of human mobility is overlooked. Moderator: Piotr Juchno, Team Leader, Asylum and Managed Migration Statistics, European Commission, Eurostat Speakers: - Priscilla Ndayara, Senior Migration Statistician, East African Community - Agnes Geijer-Farah, Program Manager for Migration & Development at the Regional Development Cooperation for Africa, SIDA - Ismail Lubbad, Team Leader, Demographic and Social Statistics Team, UNESCWA - Natalia Baal, Head of Secretariat, Expert Group on Refugee, IDP and Statelessness Statistics (EGRISS)