More than 250 million people on the planet are migrants – which means they currently reside in a different country than the one in which they were born with plans to stay there permanently or for the long-term. Have you ever wondered why do people migrate and what are the top reasons why people migrate internationally?
People migrate for many reasons. Here are the top few.
The top reason by far that people migrate is for work, pursuit of education and the resulting improved standard of living. When you widen your search outside of your own country, more opportunities exist. In fact, about 160 million migrants – nearly two thirds of all international immigrants in the world – live in G20 countries, which have stronger economies and a broader span of opportunities. About 3.5 million international students – 95% of all registered international students in the world – are studying in G20 nations, although many of them came from other countries in the G20.
An interesting trend that emerged recently and has been strengthening over the past several years is the increase in highly educated women migrating to other countries – usually those that are more highly developed than their own native country. This trend seems to be consistent with a global trend, especially in developed countries, of more highly educated women having children later and staying single longer.
Another reason people migrate is because their family, friends, community members or a romantic partner reside or have migrated to another country. They met someone; they miss their parents or their children; they have relatives or friends who have built happy lives in another country. Not surprisingly, work-oriented extroverts are much more likely to emigrate alone than introverts and family-oriented people, who are more likely to emigrate with a family.
Political reasons also drive people to migrate, whether it is a lack of personal freedom or a more dire situation, like a war or oppression. Many people migrate to escape persecution based on their religion, race or nationality, or their political, social or gender-orientation. They can become refugees, which means they have been accepted by a country of their choice in advance, or they can go to another country and seek asylum once they arrive, which can be risky.
In late 2015 and through 2016, the G20 also experienced a steep increase in asylum seekers, which fell off sharply in 2017. The number of refugees currently hosted in the G20 is now 6 million, up from 2.4 million in 2010 – which represents 27% of the world’s refugee population. Integrating refugees is a current focus and challenge for many of these countries, especially Germany and Turkey, who host 1.2 million and 3 million asylum applicants respectively.
Another group of migrants are those who have been displaced by weather or climate disasters. This is a trend many expect to grow drastically in the future, with the Christian Aid predicting up to a billion people may be displaced in the next 50 years. This is a trend many countries are currently beginning to address in terms of formulating a response.
Regardless of why people migrate, the impact of migration is a more diverse and interesting world. People who migrate carry forward the customs of their home country thereby bringing diversity to their new local communities in terms of food, culture, art and lifestyles.
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