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Migration is one of the most significant and politically contentious dimensions of globalisation. The movement of people across borders reshapes economies, societies, and cultures in both origin and destination countries. Understanding the causes, patterns, and consequences of global migration is essential for analysing global systems and governance.
Key Definition: Migration is the permanent or semi-permanent movement of people from one place to another. International migration involves crossing a national border.
The UN estimated that there were 281 million international migrants in 2020 — approximately 3.6% of the global population. While this may seem a small proportion, the absolute number has more than tripled since 1970 (when there were 84 million international migrants).
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| International migrants (2020) | 281 million |
| Share of world population | 3.6% |
| Refugees and asylum seekers | 26.6 million refugees (UNHCR, 2020) |
| Internally displaced persons (IDPs) | 55 million (2020) |
| Remittances to LMICs (2022) | $656 billion |
| Corridor | Estimated Migrants |
|---|---|
| Mexico to USA | 11.2 million |
| India to UAE | 3.5 million |
| Syria to Turkey | 3.6 million |
| Poland to UK | 900,000 |
| Bangladesh to India | 3.1 million |
Migration is driven by a complex interplay of push factors (conditions in the origin country that encourage emigration) and pull factors (conditions in the destination country that attract immigrants).
| Push Factors | Pull Factors |
|---|---|
| Unemployment and poverty | Higher wages and job opportunities |
| War and conflict (e.g., Syria, Afghanistan) | Political stability and security |
| Political persecution and human rights abuses | Democratic freedoms and human rights |
| Environmental degradation and natural disasters | Better environmental conditions |
| Limited educational and healthcare opportunities | Superior education and healthcare systems |
| Population pressure and land scarcity | Family reunification — joining relatives already abroad |
| Discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or gender | Social networks — diaspora communities |
Exam Tip: Avoid presenting push and pull factors as simple lists. The best answers explain how multiple factors interact — for example, poverty (economic push) may be caused by conflict (political push), which is itself exacerbated by climate change (environmental push). Show the interconnections.
| Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary economic migration | People choosing to move for better economic opportunities | Polish workers to UK post-2004; Indian IT workers to Silicon Valley |
| Forced migration (refugees) | People compelled to flee due to persecution, conflict, or disaster | Syrian refugees; Rohingya from Myanmar |
| Asylum seekers | People who have applied for refugee status but not yet received a decision | Afghans seeking asylum in the EU |
| Internally displaced persons | Forced to move within their own country | Displaced by Boko Haram in Nigeria |
| Environmental migrants | People displaced by environmental change (sea-level rise, drought, disasters) | Pacific Islanders threatened by rising sea levels |
The global labour market creates demand for both highly skilled and low-skilled migrant workers, but the experiences and treatment of these two groups are very different:
| Aspect | Highly Skilled Migrants | Low-Skilled Migrants |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | Global competition for talent (tech, medicine, finance) | Demand for labour in construction, agriculture, domestic work |
| Treatment | Typically receive favourable visa conditions, high salaries | Often face exploitation, low wages, poor conditions |
| Impact on origin | Brain drain — loss of trained professionals | Remittances provide income for families |
| Examples | Indian doctors in the NHS; Chinese engineers in Silicon Valley | Filipino domestic workers in the Gulf States |
| Policy response | Points-based immigration systems (e.g., Australia, UK post-Brexit) | Often subject to restrictive policies or irregular migration |
Brain drain occurs when highly skilled professionals emigrate from developing countries, depriving their home countries of talent and the return on educational investment.
The brain drain narrative has been challenged by the concept of brain gain and brain circulation:
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