Migration Today

The Economist magazine states that today, "The economic conditions now seem propitious for an enormous further expansion of migration." According to The Economist, the growing divide between rich and poor nations has created both push and pull factors that encourage an increase in movement. If such an increase in migration does occur, it is clear that it will be different from that of previous eras, however.

First, as The Economist points out, opportunities for unskilled workers are dwindling and receiving countries are trying to restrict immigration of unskilled workers and give preference to workers with skills.

Second, immigrants today are more likely to demand stronger legal rights and formal recognition than those previous waves of immigration, raising their profile in the receiving countries and heightening social tension.

Third, the receiving countries are today more likely to offer social welfare services to immigrants than in the past, straining resources and often pitting native citizens against immigrants in a competition for government funds.

All these factors combine to make migration economically and culturally divisive issues.


As can be seen in Graph 1, the greatest flux of migrants is from less developed to more developed countries. In 2005 alone, 62 million migrants moved from less developed countries to more developed countries. In the same year, 53 million migrants from more developed countries moved to other more developed countries (Graph 2).


There has been a slowing of the absolute number of international migrants, from 41 million between 1975 to 1990, to 36 million between 1990 to 2005. Of the 36 million who migrated between 1990 and 2005, 33 million migrated to industrialized countries. About 75 percent of all migrants live in only 28 countries. One out of every four migrants live in the U.S. and one of every three live in Europe. The United Nations’ State of the World Population 2006 Report noted that this slowing may be due to a drop in the number of refugees.

Figure 1: Status of Ratification of International Legal Instruments Related to International Migration
		Parties to United Nations Instruments
Instrument	Year Enforced	No. of Countries	Percentage of Countries
Migrant Workers
1949 ILO Convention Migration for Employment	1952	45	23
1975 ILO Convention concerning Migration in Abusive Conditions and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunity and the Treatment of Migrant Workers	1978	19	10
1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families	2003	34	17
Smuggling and Trafficking
2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children	2003	97	50
2000 Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air	2004	89	46
Refugees
1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees	1954	143	73
1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees	1967	143	73
Source: United Nations 2006. International Migration and Development Report of the Secretary General

* Source Graph 1 and 2: United Nations


For more information on migration today, click here: September 2005 UN Report on Global Migration Facility.