Internal Migration refers to movement from one household to another household in a different compound, home or homestead within the Demographic surveillance Area (DSA). Movement from one household to another household within the same compound, home or homestead is not classified as internal migration and it is treated separately from internal migration.

Internal migration occurs when a registered member of the DSA migrates from his/her current household to join another household or form a new household in another location within or between places in the DSA. Internal migration can only occur to those who have been previously registered into the DSS.  Internal migration is tracked by two forms (one for internal in-migration and one for internal out-migration) that are completed for each migrating individual, but completed separately in different places.  These events must eventually be reconciled.

Internal In-Migration occurs when a registered resident member migrates into a household from another location inside the Demographic Surveillance Area. In case of an in-migration, the Household Record or Registration Book (HRB) is updated by entering the name under the appropriate household the migrant belongs to, date of birth, sex, spouse identification, and mother/father identification, if relevant and the events column in the HRB coded MI. A Migration-In Form is then completed for the migrant. The Migration In Form must be completed after the HRB has been updated. Completion of the form away from the household involved is prohibited (i.e., do not wait until you have closed for the day to complete forms for events encountered in the field).

Births to mothers who were temporarily absent for reasons of pregnancy termination are births to the mother’s sample household. The infant should not be treated as an In-Migrant when the mother returns to her household. Also, deaths to infants during their absence are to be reported as deaths along with the birth.

Conversely births and deaths to women and their infants who are present in a different household solely for the purpose of delivery should not be registered, but flagged and reported to the field office for arrangements to made for the fieldworker in the original household of the mother to pick the event.

Internal Out-Migration occurs when a registered resident member migrates out from his/her current location to another location that is still inside the Demographic Surveillance Area. To qualify as member who has migrated out, the person must be away for a specific period defined by the DSS. For Example in Kintampo, Navrongo and Rufiji DSS, one is said to have migrated out if he/she has been away for at least one round. In Matlab, the criterion is six months and in other sites there may be no definite time frame but if the fieldworker is convinced from the responses he/she gets from the other household members that the person will not return to the household, then the person is treated as an out migrant.

If the person does not meet the criteria, a note should be made in the field note book and in the opposite blank page in the HRB. The note should include the date of migration which in most cases will be different from the date of visit to the household. This will help the next time a visit is made to the household and the migrant has not yet returned.

The Household Record Book (HRB) is updated by entering or coding MA against the migrant’s name in the events column, after which a Migration-Out Form is completed. Remember to complete the migration out form in the field and the respondent should be someone with a good knowledge about the migrant if possible. The Migration Out Form must be completed after the HRB has been updated. Completion of form away from the household involved is prohibited (i.e., do not wait until you have closed for the day to complete forms for events encountered in the field). Remember to state the reason in the HRB if it is for marriage.

The Migration Out Form is administered in the household where the person has migrated from and the Migration In Form is completed if he/she is identified in the new household or location. Remember the migrant may join an existing household or form a new household in their new location.