Page 294 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 1

IPS153 Jay L. et al.
We have also produced a series of case studies that put a spotlight on
what different administrative data sources tell us about international
migration.
This latest research has clearly demonstrated the benefits of combining
multiple sources to provide new insights into migration. The key points are:

• Our new analysis of circular patterns of movement using Home Office
Exit Checks data clearly demonstrates the complexity of the travel
patterns we can see in the data. Looking at individuals who arrived in the
UK on a non-visit visa and their travel patterns for the following two-year
period, we were able to identify a range of circular journeys into and out
of the country, categorise these into groups and look at their
characteristics. For example, those we defined as having a low or medium
number of journeys tended to be here for around 2-5 months and
travelled for the purposes of study or family. There is therefore potential
to produce statistics on circular migration in future, so we will explore
how we can do this based on feedback from our users about what
aspects are most important to them.
• Our improved understanding of what administrative data can tell us about
migration from the EU, building on previous work which focused mainly
on non-EU citizens. For example, when we linked NHS Personal
Demographic Service (PDS) data to the Migrant Worker Scan (MWS), we
found median lags between arrival and NHS registration of 276 days for
EU nationals and 60 days for non-EU nationals in our linked dataset. This
indicates that those registering for a National Insurance Number (NINo)
do not tend to access health services immediately. For EU nationals it also
emphasises that wider data sources will be particularly important for
identifying migration into the UK, given the time lags in the health data.
• New insights into international student migration by linking Higher
Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data with Home Office Exit Checks and
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Pay as You Earn (PAYE) data.
We found that a greater proportion of EU students in our linked HESA and
PAYE cohort were employed compared to non-EU students – which likely
reflects immigration rules and the economic background of students – and
also provides evidence that our move to bring more sources into our SPD
will help improve our coverage for non-EU students. By linking HESA and
Exit Checks data, we also found that almost half of non-EU students in our
linked data spend between 300-400 days in England and Wales during their
first 14 months of study within a 16-month period. Our existing definition of
long-term migration counts those who spend 365 days in England and
Wales as resident, so this work shows the need to explore what new or

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