Using the Population Register as a Sampling Frame for Surveying Emigrant Populations: Introducing the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS)

Andreas Ette, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Nils Witte, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Jean Guedes Auditor, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Nikola Sander , Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Norbert F. Schneider, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Jean Philippe Pierre Décieux, University of Duisburg-Essen
Marcel Erlinghagen, University of Duisburg-Essen

While immigrant populations have been studied extensively, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the processes, patterns and consequences of emigration. This is primarily due to a lack of adequate data on emigrants, since they are excluded from most population censuses and surveys. The German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS) aims to address this lack of adequate data for studying emigrant populations. The GERPS project is the first of its kind to use a population register as a sampling frame for surveying German citizens who recently moved abroad, covering all countries of destination across the globe. The sample will be used to build a unique longitudinal dataset for studying the individual-level determinants and consequences of emigration. The aim of this paper is to critically assess the pros and cons of this alternative sampling frame, and to provide a glimpse at wave 1 and potentials for future research.

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 Presented in Session 79. Collecting Data on Migrant Populations