The revised Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration and Temporary Mobility were endorsed at the 56th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), in 2025. They are the culmination of several years of collaborative work to update the Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration from 1998 and reflect changes in migration patterns, border control, as well as methods in data collection.

The review process was led by the Expert Group on Migration Statistics (EGMS), formally established by the UNSC in 2018, at its 49th session. Thanks to technical guidance from UNHCR’s participation in the EGMS and engagement from EGRISS Secretariat, the revised Recommendations ensures better alignment with the IRRS, having incorporated its key elements. It makes several references to guidance from the IROSS and the Compilers’ Manual. 

Areas of harmonisation also include statistical indicators prioritised across both sets of Recommendations, technical approaches to data collection using both traditional and non-traditional sources, and operational coordination at national, regional, and international level beyond normative guidance.

The review process

EGMS’s membership include a group of subject matter experts from national statistical offices and migration-relevant line ministries from 21 countries, 18 different international/regional organisations, and a handful of subject-matter experts from academic institutions. Its Secretariat is based in the UN Statistical Division (UNSD).

A key focus of the Group is advancing methodologies to measure the phenomenon monitoring progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Members meets face-to-face at least once a year, and their work is organised around five task forces.