When annual migration data lack reliability, scholars apply alternative methods for estimating
international migration. Yet, researchers note that alternative approaches have
primarily been tested on developed countries, rather than developing countries that usually
have dramatic migration shifts. I close this research gap. I use the example of 15 former
Soviet republics to demonstrate several conclusions. First, I show that such
alternative approaches as immigration-by-origin data of receiving countries do not result
in reliable and valid estimates of post-Soviet migration, given the large variation that
exists in how former Soviet republics define ‘‘migrant’’. Second, I demonstrate that population
censuses, while a more superior alternative, fail to capture temporary migrants.
In developing countries, the international emigration is mainly due to temporary (undocumented
labour) migration. Third, I suggest that scholars and policy-makers should
apply household surveys as a possible alternative. However, while this method seems
promising, given the limited use of household surveys in migration measurement in the
post-Soviet republics, future research by both scholars and applied researchers should
explore the advantages and limitations of household surveys as an alternative source for
estimation of migration. Finally, I outline methodological guidelines that researchers and
scholars can advance on migration issues in the post-Soviet region.