How Many Leave Europe and Why Do They? The Birth of Statistics on Global Migration. Brussels 1853

Abstract

Abstract The historical study of the production of statistical knowledge concerning global migration has garnered little attention among historians. This is striking in light of the broader and richly explored domains of global migration regulation, knowledge production, and the history of sciences, including statistics. The marginalisation of this area in historical discourse is noteworthy, considering the pivotal role that statistical knowledge plays in understanding and managing migration. An examination of this topic unveils the interplay between migration policy, statistical methodologies and the contexts in which they were collected. Statistical data bears the mark of the context of its creation and incorporates the peculiarities related to the state of administrative technologies and the resources of the states that collected it. Such data also shows the imprint of social representation, that make it difficult to distinguish the ‘other’, the foreigner, the alien and the migrant, as well as the political agendas that justify the establishment of such a costly means of knowledge.