Tanzania is one of the most dynamic countries in East Africa with great potential of positively transforming human lives and communities through migration. It is a country that has a long history of migration, being surrounded by eight countries, which makes border movements crucial for the country’s development, but at the same time challenging in terms of security. Migration trends in Tanzania are currently changing: once dominated by refugees, mixed migration and rural urban migration, migrations flows now include increased repatriation and naturalization of refugees and increasing emigration. Improved information and analysis of these migration dynamics are essential for effective migration governance and planning.

This mapping of migration data sources has been carried out in coordination with the National Consultative Committee of United Republic of Tanzania. It provides an overview of existing national data sources that can yield information on migration, including censuses and surveys, administrative records, registers and data collected at borders/entry points in the mentioned countries. In doing so, they aim to offer a comprehensive glimpse on the availability of data sources on migration and its management, identify gaps in the way data on migration is collected, analysed and used in the management of migration and make corresponding recommendations to improve data collection, analysis, coordination and dissemination. The recommendations outline key measures in the short, medium and long term to enhance the availability and quality of data on migration for informed and timely planning, decision making, development of policies and programs as well as general information dissemination.