The SOPEMi experience: genesis, aims and achievements
Salt, J.
International Migration Review 21(4): 1067-1073
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0197-9183 PMID: 12280907 Document Number: 381885
The Systeme d'Observation Permanente sur les Migrations (SOPEMI) was established in 1973 to provide the European member states of the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a mechanism for the timely sharing of information on international migration. The core of the SOPEMI has always been a group of national experts who prepare annual reports on the migration situation in their respective countries. A summary of those national reports constitutes the annual SOPEMI report. 11 European countries have been consistently represented by SOPEMI membership while overseas member states (Australia, Canada, and the US) have joined only recently. Currently, the functioning of SOPEMI can be described in terms of 6 elements: 1) The Working Party on Migration. The principal function of SOPEMI is to provide information to this body, whose mandate is to collect systematically information trends and policies in the OECD member states to identify emerging problems in international cooperation. 2) Correspondents. These are academic or government officials who are experts on international migration and whose appointment to SOPEMI has been deemed acceptable by both OECD and national authorities in their respective member states. 3) National Reports. Correspondents produce national reports summarizing the main features of international migration in their respective countries during the most recent calendar year. 4) The Meeting. In November of each year, SOPEMI correspondents meet in Paris for 2 days to compare national experiences and exchange information. 5) SOPEMI's Annual Report. The annual report contains an assessment of the major themes emerging from national reports and a series of statistical tables. 6) The Grid. In an attempt to enhance the comparability of national reports, the OECD Secretariat has prepared a grid outlining the main topics deserving attention. In its latest format, the Annual SOPEMI Report includes 4 types of statistical tables: 1) cross national tables (for OECD Europe), 2) host-country tables (for OECD Europe), 3) emigration country tables, and 4) tables for non-European countries. To the extent possible, data on both stocks and flows of foreigners are presented. 1 of the greatest contributions of SOPEMI has been its ability to signal changes in the patterns and processes of international migration in Western Europe and North America as they have happened. Since flexibility is 1 of the key factors allowing such an accomplishment, it would be unwise to restrict it now that both the similarities and differences between national experiences need to be carefully disentangled.