Immigration Statistics

This book examines the needs for and availability of statistics concerning immigrants and immigration. It concentrates on the needs for statistics on immigrants, refugees, and illegal aliens for policy and program purposes, on the adequacy of the statistics that are produced and of the statistical systems that generate them, and on recommendations for improving these systems. Also, the history of immigration legislation and the estimates of the size of the illegal alien population are briefly reviewed.Table of ContentsFront Matter1 Overview and Major Recommendations2 Immigration Policy: Past to Present3 Needs for Statistics on Immigration4 The Immigration and Naturalization Service5 Other Government Sources of Information on Immigration6 The Role of Nongovernmental Activities in Immigration Studies7 Collecting Data on Refugees and Asylees: An Illusion of a Complex Process8 Data Gaps and Ways to Fill Them9 RecommendationsGlossaryAppendix A: Selected FormsAppendix B: Some Methodological Issues in Analyzing Data on ImmigrationAppendix C: The Settlement Process Among Mexican Migrants to the United States: New Methods and FindingsAppendix D: A Review of Statistical Aspects Contained Within Pending Immigration Legislation: A Letter Report to the INS, May 1983Appendix E: A Summary of Panel ActivitiesAppendix F: Bibliographic Sources of InformationAppendix G: Biographical Sketches of Panel Members and Staff