The estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades. Currently, approximately 281 million people are international migrants living in a country other than their country of birth. (WMR 2022).
Every year, people around the world face the devastating impacts of conflicts, diseases, disasters, and climate change that force them to migrate.
At the end of 2021, a staggering 59.1 million people were internally displaced (55 million in 2020). 53.2 million were due to conflict and violence while 5.9 million were due to disasters. (IDMC GRID, 2022)
While some regions are affected more than others, no nation is spared the risks of displacement. (Report of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement)
Nearly two-thirds of all international migrants live in Europe (76 million) or Asia (75 million). Migration is now more widely distributed across more countries. Today the top 10 countries of destination receive a smaller share of all migrants than in 2000.
One of every ten migrants is under the age of 15. The impact of remittance flows is also significant having reached $436 billion in 2014 far exceeding official development assistance and, excluding China, foreign direct investment.
Throughout human history, migration has been a courageous expression of the individual’s will to overcome adversity and live a better life. Today, globalization, together with advances in communications and transportation, has greatly increased the number of people who have the desire and the capacity to move to other places.
This new era has created challenges and opportunities for societies throughout the world. It also has served to underscore the clear linkage between migration and development, as well as the opportunities it provides for co-development, that is, the concerted improvement of economic and social conditions at both origin and destination.
Migration draws increasing attention in the world nowadays. Mixed with elements of unforeseeability, emergency, and complexity, the challenges and difficulties of international migration require enhanced cooperation and collective action among countries and regions. The United Nations is actively playing a catalyst role in this area, with the aim of creating more dialogues and interactions within countries and regions, as well as propelling experience exchange and collaboration opportunities.