Touted as ‘the richest source of information on international migration’, the IPS samples around 250,000 people entering and leaving the main British air and sea ports

• Touted as ‘the richest source of information on international migration’, the IPS samples around 250,000 people entering and leaving the main British air and sea ports

• IPS is the primary source of information for the Government’s Total International Migration (TIM) estimates

• Issues:

• Seasonally variable sample survey

• Misses many asylum seekers and their dependents

• Only provides information on the intentions of respondents rather than their final actions

• Anyone using primary unit data from the ESDS needs to be especially wary of seasonal adjustment issues

Notes:

Criticised for being seasonally variable

Despite being used for TIM - In recent years attention has been drawn to the significant underestimation of Eastern European Migrants.