Research concerning internal migration has increasingly recognized family members outside the household as important factors for mobility decisions. Older generations and familiar environments constitute strong attractors thanks to location-specific capital and exchange of multigenerational support. Less is known about geographical immobility across generations. Wee study immobility patterns across three generations of native Finns by examining population register data that span over five decades. We analyse how geographical immobility in terms of a person’s place of residence at age 35 vs age 14 relates to the place of birth of their parents and grandparents. In this regard, Finland offers a highly useful case study because of its two main ethnolinguistic groups, Finnish and Swedish speakers, which are characterized by historically different mobility patterns and geographical concentrations. We find that geographical immobility relates strongly to local ancestral ties, that geographical immobility is much more common among Swedish than Finnish speakers, that the association between local ancestral ties and geographical immobility is stronger for Swedish than for Finnish speakers, and that it differs across geographical areas with different ethnolinguistic profiles. In terms of effect sizes, local ancestral ties have a large role in immobility behaviour, equally important as many socioeconomic and demographic factors. 

The growing necessity for evidence-based policy built on rigorous research has never been greater. However, the ability of researchers to provide such evidence is invariably tied to the availability of high-quality data. Bias stemming from over-coverage in official population registers, i.e. resident individuals whose death or emigration is not registered, can lead to serious implications for policymaking and research. Using Swedish Population registers and the statistical framework of multiple systems estimation, we estimate the extent of over-coverage among foreign-born individuals’ resident in Sweden for the period 2003–2016. Our study reveals that, although over-coverage is low during this period in Sweden, we observed a distinct heterogeneity in over-coverage across various sub-populations, suggesting significant variations among them. We also evaluated the implications of omitting each of the considered registers on real data and simulated data, and highlight the potential bias introduced when the omitted register interacts with the included registers. Our paper underscores the broad applicability of multiple systems estimation in addressing and mitigating bias from over-coverage in scenarios involving incomplete but overlapping population registers. 

Young adults moving between wealthy countries for work and adventure are an under-studied group of international migrants. We use a unique combination of full population register data from Sweden and Norway to explore the so-called ‘Party Swedes’: young Swedes who emigrated to Norway in 2010–12. We follow them and track their median incomes before they left Sweden, during their stay in Norway, and after their return to Sweden. Moreover, we model selection into migration and return, as well as individual income levels after return. Our results suggest that in economic terms, the ‘party penalty’ clearly seems larger than the ‘party premium’. Even though the young Swedes earned well in Norway, this did not translate into higher incomes after returning to Sweden than among their non-migrating peers. These results add to the literature on migrants’ income premiums after return, focusing on liquid youth migration.

En folkräkning omfattar den samlade processen av att samla in, sammanställa, utvärdera, analysera och publicera demografiska, ekonomiska och sociala data över samtliga personer som befinner sig i ett land vid en viss tidpunkt. Syftet med svenska folkräkningar har varit att framställa statistik över storleken på och sammansättningen av Sveriges befolkning, för att på så vis utgöra grund för samhälls­planering och forskning. Under senare år har konceptet folkräkning även dykt upp i den politiska debatten och trots att folkräkningsdata faktiskt producerades så sent som under 2021 har riksdag och regering under samma tid beslutat att en storskalig nationell folk­räkning ska förberedas i Sverige.

I den här rapporten ger vi en samlad översikt om folkräkningar i Sverige, hur de genomförts historiskt, vilka utmaningar som funnits och finns med att organisera folkräkningar, samt vad syftet med och innehållet i olika folkräkningar har varit. Vår överblick tar dels ett historiskt perspektiv genom att beskriva hur situationen för folk­räkningar i Sverige har förändrats över tid, dels ett inter­nationellt perspektiv genom att ge en bild av i vilken utsträckning och med vilka metoder folkräkningar genomförts i andra delar av Europa och övriga världen och på vilket sätt situationen i Sverige skiljer sig från den i andra länder. Rapporten ger därtill en fördjupad bild av de utmaningar och möjligheter som hänger samman med Sveriges befintliga system av registerbaserade folkräkningar. Det senare omfattar en analys av omfattningen av och olika problem relaterade till den så kallade övertäckningen och undertäckningen i svensk registerbaserad befolkningsstatistik. Avslutningsvis diskut­erar vi behovet av och möjligheten att genomföra nya folkräkningar i Sverige.

This paper examines conditions of international return migration and their relation to risks of experiencing economic difficulties postreturn. Relying on unique survey data among Senegalese and Romanian returnees, we revisit and provide an empirical examination of the theoretical notion of return preparedness, involving aspects of voluntariness, resource mobilization and time to prepare. The lack of time to prepare return, more commonly associated with self-declared involuntary returns and deportations, is found to significantly increase the risk of economic difficulties post return in both contexts. Whilst emphasizing the complexity of voluntariness, the findings show that, additionally, returns compelled by external circumstances or negative return motivations (‘semi-involuntary’) are associated with higher risks of economic difficulties. Compared to nonmigrants, returnees experienced decreased risks of economic difficulties in Senegal, but not significantly in Romania. Those forced back to Senegal or compelled to return to Romania did, however not experience such risk decrease. 

Contemporary international migration is characterized by increasingly complex migration patterns, with high shares of re-migration, i.e., return and onward migration after an initial move. Re-migration not only constitutes a significant part of net migration, but also has long-term consequences on the demographic and socio-economic composition of receiving countries’ foreign-born populations. Moreover, return migrants are considered to be important actors in sending countries' economic, social and political development. At the same time, return is used as a means of an increasingly restrictive migration policy, for example within the EU. In this dissertation, international re-migration is examined in terms of its scope, geographical patterns, underlying factors, individual decision-making processes and consequences. It consists of an introductory chapter, followed by four individual studies.

Study I examines patterns and determinants of return and onward migration among foreign-born individuals, using Swedish register data. The study analyses the importance of migration history, and social and economic attachments to Sweden. Although return migration is found to be the main form of remigration, onward migration is more prominent among specific migrant groups such as forced migrants. Whilst sharing many similarities, main differences between return and onward migration are related to age and the time spent in Sweden.

Study II assesses the potential bias in estimating the size of different migrant populations due to over-coverage in population registers. The results confirm the existence of over-coverage and the substantial bias in mortality and fertility rates for people of migrating age, due to over-coverage. Accounting for over-coverage is particularly important for correctly estimating migrant fertility, as the bias occurs mainly at the most common ages for migration and having children.

Study III examines the extent to which individual re-migration intentions might predict actual behaviour, compare their main determinants, and analyse what factors are related to the realization (or not) of re-migration intentions. Using a unique linkage of Swedish survey and register data, the study finds intention to be a relatively poor proxy of re-migration behaviour. Sharing many similarities, origin country ties are more related to re-migration intentions. Realizing intentions of both staying and leaving the destination country is found hindered by unemployment and economic difficulties.

Study IV examines conditions of voluntariness in international return migration and its relation to risks of experiencing economic difficulties post return, relying on rich survey data among Senegalese and Romanian returnees. Whilst emphasizing the complexity of voluntariness, the findings show that semi-involuntary returns are associated with higher risks of economic difficulties. Compared to non-migrants, migrant returnees do not necessarily experience lower risks of economic difficulties. For example, deported returnees to Senegal do not experience migration-related advantages.

Through its four studies, the dissertation addresses both conceptual and methodological challenges, which are constantly recurring in international migration research. The main results of the dissertation help to distinguish, compare and nuance the implications of traditional dichotomies in migration research, such as return vs. onward migration, intentions vs. behaviour, and deportation vs. "voluntary" return.

Estimating the number of individuals living in a country is an essential task for demographers. This study assesses the potential bias in estimating the size of different migrant populations due to over-coverage in population registers. Over-coverage-individuals registered but not living in a country-is an increasingly pressing phenomenon; however, there is no common understanding of how to deal with over-coverage in demographic research. This study examines different approaches to and improvements in over-coverage estimation using Swedish total population register data. We assess over-coverage levels across migrant groups, test how estimates of age-specific death and fertility rates are affected when adjusting for over-coverage, and examine whether over-coverage can explain part of the healthy migrant paradox. Our results confirm the existence of over-coverage and we find substantial changes in mortality and fertility rates, when adjusted, for people of migrating age. Accounting for over-coverage is particularly important for correctly estimating migrant fertility.

This paper is an analysis of patterns and determinants of return and onward migration among foreign-born individuals residing in Sweden from 1990 to 2015. Who is emigrating, and where do they go? What are the determinants of return and onward migration? Increased diversity in international migration flows includes an increase in repeat migration. However, studies of re-emigration have often failed to appropriately distinguish emigration types and have traditionally been limited to economic analysis of labour migrants. Using high-quality register data from Sweden, this paper analyses re-emigration through the conditions upon first immigration and evolving social and economic integration in the host country. Although return migration is found to be the main form of remigration type, onward migration is more prominent among specific migrant groups such as forced migrants. Additionally, various determinants of return and onward migration stress the importance of treating them as distinct phenomena within the migration literature.

In terms of re-migration among international migrants, knowledge of how intention relates to actual behaviour remains scarce, as intention and behaviour are largely separated in the literature. In this paper we examine the extent to which intentions might predict actual behaviour, compare their main determinants, and analyse what factors are related to the realization (or not) of re-migration intentions. The data is comprised of a unique linkage of survey data on foreign-born individuals’ future mobility intentions, combined with prospective, high-quality register data from Sweden. Our findings show that intention is a poor proxy of re-migration behaviour, especially after a long time at the destination. Whilst social and economic destination country attachments are relevant for explaining both intention and behaviour, origin country ties are mostly related to re-migration intentions. Moreover, we show that realizing intentions of both staying and leaving the destination country is hindered by unemployment and economic difficulties.

This paper examines conditions of voluntariness in international return migration and itsrelation to risks of experiencing economic difficulties post return. Relying on unique survey dataamong Senegalese and Romanian returnees that allows examining the complex nature ofvoluntariness, we move beyond the political dichotomy of ‘forced’ vs ‘voluntary’ returns. Webuild on the theoretical notion of return preparedness, involving aspects of willingness andresource mobilization, and provide an empirical examination that contributes to thespecification o f the concept. Whilst emphasizing the complexity of voluntariness, the findingsshow that semi involuntary returns, compelled by external circumstances or negative returnmotivations, are associated with higher risks of economic difficulties. Compared to n onmigrants, all returnees in Senegal experience decreased risks of experiencing economicdifficulties, except those forced back to return. Both time to prepare return and acquiringentrepreneurial skills in destination are also important in lowering the r isks of economicdifficulties after return in both countries.