Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. Some people move in search of work or economic opportunity, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution or large-scale human rights violations. Still others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters or other environmental factors.

Today, more people than ever live in a country other than the one in which they were born. According to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), as of 1 July 2020 the global number of international migrants was estimated to be 281 million. International migrants comprise some 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared to 2.8 per cent in 2000 and 2.3 per cent in 1980.

While most people migrate out of choice, others migrate out of necessity. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimated that, by the end of 2022, the world hosted an estimated 35.3 million refugees, including 5.9 million Palestine refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), as well as 5.4 million were asylum-seekers .

Who is an international migrant?

For statistical purposes, the United Nations defines an international migrant as any person who has changed his or her country of residence. This includes all migrants, regardless of their legal status, or the nature, or motive of their movement.

Migrants and the SDGs

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the positive contribution of migrants to inclusive growth and sustainable development. The Agenda's core principle is to "leave no one behind," which includes migrants. Many of the Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contain targets and indicators which are relevant to migrants or migration. SDG target 10.7 calls on countries to “facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies ”. Other targets directly related to migrants or migration refer to the health workforce in developing countries (3.c), mobility of international students (4.b), human trafficking (5.2, 8.7 and 16.2), labour migration (8.7 and 8.8), remittances (10.c) and legal identity (16.9).  Further, SDG target 17.8 calls for disaggregating data by migratory status.

UNDESA’s Population Division

The Population Division of the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs conducts demographic research, supports intergovernmental processes at the United Nations in the area of population and development, and assists countries in developing their capacity to produce and analyse population data and information. The Division brings population issues to the attention of the international community by highlighting the central role of demographic trends in all aspects of sustainable development. The Division publishes datasets on the world’s population and analyzes global demographic trends. The Population Division prepares global estimates of the number of international migrants on a regular basis. The Division also prepares technical reports on international migration and development.

The Division supports the Commission on Population and Development, which reviews the status of implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), as well as deliberations in the General Assembly on population and development and on international migration.

 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration. IOM works to ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to the challenges of migration and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

In 2016, IOM entered into an agreement with the United Nations, becoming a related organization. IOM serves as coordinator of the United Nations network on migration, established by the Secretary-General in 2018.

Data on migration

According to the latest estimates prepared by the Population Division, in 2020, the number of international migrants worldwide – people residing in a country other than their country of birth – reached 281 million. Female migrants constituted 48 per cent of international migrants. Almost three out of four international migrants were aged between 20 and 64 years , whereas 41 million international migrants were under the age of 20. Most international migrants reside in Asia and Europe (31% each), followed by Northern America (21%), Africa (9%), Latin America and the Caribbean (5%) and Oceania (3%).

IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre hosts the Global Migration Data Portal, which provides access to timely, comprehensive and reliable migration data, bringing together information from various sources . The Portal aims to assist policy makers, the media and the general public in navigating the complex landscape of migration data.

Global action

For over a quarter century, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, adopted in Cairo in 1994, has guided global action on migration. Chapter X of the Programme of Action examines the opportunities and challenges of international migration for development, highlights the rights of documented migrants, and provides concrete actions to address the challenges of undocumented migration.

In September 2016, the General Assembly convened a high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants. The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants recognizes that refugees and migrants have the same universal human rights and fundamental freedoms and that they face common challenges and have similar vulnerabilities. It acknowledges the positive contribution of migrants to sustainable and inclusive development, and commits to protecting the safety, dignity and human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migratory status.

In December 2018, UN Member States adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) at an intergovernmental conference on international migration held in Marrakesh, Morocco. The GCM is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, covering all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. It is a non-binding document that respects states’ sovereign right to determine who enters and stays in their territory and demonstrates commitment to international cooperation on migration. It seeks to improve the governance of migration, to address the challenges associated with today’s migration, and to strengthen the contribution of migrants and migration to sustainable development.

In May 2022, at the first International Migration Review Forum, the General Assembly adopted the Progress Declaration, which reviewed the status of implementation of the GCM and provides a roadmap for increased global cooperation on migration.

International Migrants Day (18 December)

In December 2000, the General Assembly proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day. On that day in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

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