IOM report: Migration as a driver of prosperity

Migration is set to be a defining characteristic of the 21st century, necessitating increased efforts to establish regular and safe pathways for movement, stated Amy Pope, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), during a meeting in New York.

At the opening of a two-day conference focused on leveraging the benefits of migration, Pope expressed optimism that participants would foster prosperity and innovation for both migrants and their countries of origin and destination. Earlier this month, the IOM launched the World Migration Report (WMR) 2024 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, revealing significant shifts in global migration patterns, including a record number of displaced people and a substantial increase in international remittances.

The report indicates that approximately 281 million people, or 3.6 percent of the global population, are currently migrating, up from 153 million in 1990 and 84 million in 1970. Future trends suggest further increases in migration.

Last year’s 2023 WMR highlighted that migration can benefit both origin and destination countries, but its full potential is realized only when policies also support migrants’ well-being. Implementing these considerations can develop fairer and more effective migration policies that maximize the positive impacts of human mobility.

Also read: IOM’s World Migration Report: Fewer regular pathways, record forced displacement and remittances

Migration as a driver of human development

The 2024 report underscores that international migration continues to drive human development and economic growth, as evidenced by a more than 650 percent increase in international remittances from 2000 to 2022, rising from 128 billion dollars to 831 billion dollars.

This growth persisted despite many analysts predicting a substantial decrease in remittances due to COVID-19. Of the 831 billion dollars in remittances, 647 billion dollars were sent to low- and middle-income countries, significantly contributing to their GDPs and surpassing foreign direct investment.

Speaking about the report’s findings on May 7, Amy Pope, the head of the IOM stated: “In a world grappling with uncertainty, understanding migration dynamics is essential for informed decision-making and effective policy responses.” She expressed hope that the report would “inspire collaborative efforts to harness the potential of migration as a driver for human development and global prosperity.”

The report highlights that while international migration continues to drive human development, challenges persist. With an estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide, the number of displaced individuals due to conflict, violence, disaster, and other reasons has risen to 117 million, underscoring the urgency of addressing displacement crises.

At the New York conference, she noted that migrants often face exploitation, violence, abuse, and discrimination, especially through irregular migration, where they undertake perilous journeys in search of a better future.

“More people are fleeing war or fleeing violence. More people are fleeing economic hardship, or lack of opportunity. More people are fleeing the impacts of climate change, or food scarcity. And increasingly, people are fleeing a combination of all of the above,” Pope said. 

Also read: Displacement and migration explained

Benefits of migration

Migration is crucial for economic resilience, growth, and prosperity, recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a catalyst for a more just and equitable future. 

Pope notes that aside from benefits in terms of economic prosperity, “it also leads to the exchange of skills, to the strengthening of the labor force, to investment and cultural diversity.”

Pope emphasized the need for investment in people and migration through safe and regular migration pathways, protecting migrants’ rights and dignity, and ensuring access to essential services. She underscored the importance of preventing exploitation of migrants in their destination countries. 

Uganda’s UN Ambassador, Adonia Ayebare, highlighted migration’s role in rapid urbanization and the necessity of creating “an eco-system for joint action” for regular migration pathways, addressing the inadequacies of current options.

“This mismatch comes at a high cost, both in terms of lives lost and human suffering due to unsafe migration, and in terms of countries of countless missed opportunities for individuals and societies,” he said. 

Also read: Germany: Employment of refugees eight years after their arrival reaches 68 percent

Better information and regular pathways

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed pointed to the controversy and misinformation surrounding migration, urging policymakers to view migration as an opportunity rather than a problem, and to implement regular pathways to enhance labor forces and integrate migrants into host communities. 

“Instead of putting regular pathways in place to boost labor forces, to better integrate migrants in host communities, and to make migration safer for all people on the move, policymakers are encouraged to treat migration as a problem; to believe that irregular migration represents the majority of migration, and to focus solely on the crisis dimensions,” she said in a video message addressing the New York conference. 

Also read: IOM pledges support for new EU Pact on migration and asylum