International Migration: A Global Challenge

Population Bulletin, Vol. 51, No. 1, April 1996

by Philip Martin and Jonas Widgren

Introduction

International migration is at an all-time high. In the mid-1990s, about 125 million people live outside their country of birth or citizenship. They account for about 2 percent of the world's population and are expanding by 2 million to 4 million annually. In part because of the increasing numbers, immigration has leaped to the top of the policy agenda in many of the world's major economic powers.

The world migrant population is not spread evenly throughout the globe; it is concentrated in relatively few countries. About half of the world's migrants live in the developing world, particularly in those developing countries rich in oil, diamonds, and other natural resources, or with expanding manufacturing industries. Foreign workers form the majority of the labor force in several Middle Eastern countries, and about one-seventh of the labor force in South Africa.

Civil conflicts, persecution, and political instability also impel people from their home countries to seek safe havens elsewhere. Every world region hosts some political refugees, but Africa and western Asia contain over half the world total of 27 million refugees and displaced persons.

Seven of the world's wealthiest countries (Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Japan, and Canada) have about one-third of the world's migrant population, but less than one-eighth of the total world population. These countries are also the destination of most migrants to the industrial world. Because of low birth rates, newly arriving immigrants account for a large proportion of population growth in these countries: all the growth in Germany, for example, and about one-third of the annual growth in the United States.

There is no end in sight to the current wave of international migrants. Uneven population growth and disparities in job opportunities among countries, in addition to civil strife and persecution, are likely to produce international migrants and refugees for the foreseeable future. Well into the 21st century, international migration will pose major challenges for the countries that receive and send migrants.

The migration challenge in the world's migrant-receiving nations has two dimensions: one external and one internal. The external challenge is how to balance the need for foreign labor and the commitment to human rights with the large number of people who would like to immigrate to pursue economic opportunities and political freedom. The internal challenge is how to help immigrants and their children be accepted as fellow citizens and future leaders.

Many residents of the migrant-receiving countries want immigration reduced. This attitude is demonstrated in many forms-arson attacks on foreigners' homes in Germany, political parties committed to stopping immigration in France, and increased spending on border controls in the United States. Singapore imposes strict restrictions on employers and migrant workers, and Argentina excludes the children of illegal immigrants from its public schools.

Some analysts argue that the migration challenge is nothing new, and that it is manageable. They point out that migrants are only 2 percent of the world's population, despite overwhelming demographic, economic, and political differences that could produce many more migrants. The number of borders to cross has increased as new countries are created. The economic links between countries are stronger because of increased trade. Advances in communications and transportation have made it easier for potential employers and employees in different countries to find one another and less expensive to move. Yet most people stay in their country of birth. Mexico and the Philippines are two of the world's major migrant-sending countries, for example, but over 90 percent of the people born in those two countries still live there.

Furthermore, countries can implement policies to control immigration. Germany's 1993 asylum reforms apparently were able to reduce the number of asylum applicants in that country by two-thirds while avoiding offsetting increases in illegal immigration. New asylum policies introduced in the United States in 1995 cut the number of asylum applicants by half in one year. But many experts are skeptical about the long-term success of such control measures.

This Population Bulletin explains why people cross national borders and how migration flows are likely to evolve in the decades ahead, particularly those heading to the industrial countries. We explore the factors that have caused the number of refugees-people migrating to escape persecution-to skyrocket and we look at where refugees are moving. We then examine international migration through a geographic prism — considering major trends and issues in the migrant-receiving countries of the industrial world and summarizing trends in other world regions.

The report also explores the ways countries can manage migration or reduce the pressure to migrate. Instead of building ever-higher walls to keep migrants out, the receiving nations may be able to control immigration by accelerating global economic growth and reducing wars and human rights violations so that people will not want, or need, to cross international borders. We explore the effect on migration of international trade, aid, and direct intervention policies, in particular by the industrial nations, and discuss whether industrial nations can and should coordinate their immigration and assistance policies.

The full text of this Population Bulletin is available in print only. Please visit our online store to order. Listed below are all the sections of this Bulletin.

Introduction

International Migration

Why People Migrate

Refugees and Asylum-Seekers

Regional Trends

Reducing Migration Pressures

Managing Migration

Two Grand Bargains

Suggested Resources

References

Related Publications