Trends in Migration

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Recent Trends in Migration

Until the 1990s, international migration was directed mainly towards developed world destinations like the UK and USA.

Migration statistics

In 2016, it was estimated that 250 million people live in a country where they were not born. This is about 4% of the world's population.
This proportion has not changed materially over time. Although the number of people migrating internationally each year has risen, the world's population has grown from 2.5bn in 1950 to 7.6bn in 2018.

Internal migration

Urbanisation is a trend that has been gaining strength for centuries, but it has really accelerated in the developing world in recent years.
People from rural areas often move to urban areas to find better jobs and higher wages.
Megacities have over 10 million people in them and in August 2018, there were 46 megacities. 15 were in China and 5 in India. Most were in developing nations.

International migration

Until the 1990s international migration was directed mainly towards developed world destinations e.g. the UK, USA.
More recently, cities in developing world countries (like Mumbai, India and Lagos, Nigeria) have become major global hubs for international migration.
Different nations have different policies on international migration.
- Singapore and Canada engage more fully with international migration.
- The USA and Australia establish barriers against many international migrants.

Factors Affecting Government Responses to Migration

Differences in the level of political engagement with the global economy are a major reason for the different governmental approaches to migration (from Singapore welcoming it to the USA limiting it).

The EU

For a state or nation to become deeply integrated into multinational systems, some people say that liberal immigration rules are necessary.
For example, the freedom of movement of labour is a key component of the European Union.

The WTO

The WTO is a 'Bretton Woods institution' that attempts to reduce barriers to trade, like quotas and tariffs internationally.
Tariffs are effectively taxes on goods that are imported and exported.
It is hoped that removing tariffs will increase the flows of goods and services between countries, helping to boost economic growth.
The removal of trade barriers like this should enable TNCs and industries to sell their products to a larger market (more countries).

TNCs

Inward investment from TNCs may depend partly on how easily senior staff can be transferred to a particular nation.
In the USA it can be very difficult for foreign workers to get visas. This may discourage some TNC investment, although the USA has lots of other attractive features for TNCs like low tax rates and a large consumer market.

National population

The national population has an important role to play because they elect governments.
Countries that have 'open-door' policies, which let lots of migrants enter the country, may alienate the electorate of the local people do not want more migration.
The UK has a net migration target (number of immigrants - the number of emigrants) of 100,000 people per year.
Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary won the Hungarian election whilst using very anti-migrant rhetoric.