SIMN

International Migration at the Forefront of the Global Agenda

By Joseph Chamie*

Four powerful factors are contributing to the urgency of international migration on national and international scenes.

First, and perhaps foremost, is demography.  Generally speaking, receiving countries are facing a "birth rate crisis".  With more deaths than births, many receiving countries are experiencing rapid population aging and facing population decline.  In contrast, the populations of sending countries, especially in Asia and Africa, continue to grow rapidly, with most of their populations in the younger ages.

Economics is the second major factor.  With aging and shrinking populations, many developed nations are having labor shortages, financial pressures on government-sponsored pensions and difficulties providing health care for the elderly.  In addition, a number of countries in the Persian Gulf are recruiting large numbers of migrant workers for their expanding economies, fueled largely by oil wealth.  At the same time, many men and women in poor developing countries, especially the youth, face difficulties securing employment and seek opportunities in wealthier countries, especially in Europe and North America.

The third major factor is culture, a broad set of issues including ethnicity, language, religion, customs and habits.  In contrast to the past, the composition of the immigrants in many instances differs greatly from that of the receiving country. In Europe following World War II, for example, many immigrants came from the relatively poorer countries of the southern Europe. Many of the immigrants today, however, are not only less educated and lower skilled than the native populations, but are ethnically and culturally different, raising concerns about integration, assimilation and cultural integrity.

Finally, the fourth crucial factor is national security.  The events of 9-11 in the US, the bombings in the UK, Spain, Indonesia and elsewhere, and several high profile violent crimes by immigrants have heightened security concerns relating to international migrants.  As a result, many countries have tightened their borders, stiffened their policies and instituted new procedures, e.g., photos and fingerprints, to monitor those coming from certain countries.

Given these circumstances, international migration will no doubt remain at the top of national and international agenda for the foreseeable future.  In addition, it seems certain that the issue of how best to address international migration will become more contentious, divisive and challenging for governments and international organizations in the years ahead.

* Joseph Chamie is research director at the Center for Migration Studies