International migration crisis

For weeks prior to the US midterm election the caravan of over 3,000 South Americans walking to the Mexican border with the US was always in the news. They have been contained within Mexico, but the teargassing of those who climb the border hill/wall which included women and children was a sorry sight and did not sit well with many people. The Libyans and other Africans risking life and limb crossing to Europe in small, rickety boats are a monthly occurrence with the expected fatalities. Then there are the over 400,000 Syrians fleeing their war-torn country for other parts of the Middle East, and the more than a million Venezuelans who left for Colombia for other Latin American countries to escape food and medicine shortages, 4,000% inflation, joblessness, and poverty. These are the high-profile migration that we know and there are less-publicized quiet migrations happening all the time.

In 1970, it was reported 85 million people migrated to other countries. In 2015, 45 years, it was reported at 244 million. As a percentage of the world’s population, migrants account for 2.5% to 3.2%, or about 1 for every 30 people, with the percentage slightly increasing over the years. The top 10 destinations of migrants in terms of volume are: US, Germany, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, UK, UAE, Canada, France, Australia, and Spain. On the other hand, the top 10 countries of origin/source of migrants are: India, Mexico, Russian Federation, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ukraine, Philippines, Syria, and UK. The Philippines was eighth with 4 million migrants in 2015. Men account for 52% and women 48% of migrants, and 72% of them are of working age, between 25 to 60 years old.

Migration has been a natural occurrence since the beginning of mankind, as a consequence of human desire for a better life. People migrate due to political and/or economic reasons. Persecution because of religious, ethnic, or political reasons is common and migration is necessary to survive. The Rohingyas leaving Sri Lanka, the Syrians, and the Uyghurs are recent examples. The migration of Indians, Mexicans, Pakistanis, and Filipinos are more due to economic reasons and the search for a better life. The Africans for both reasons; to escape the violence in their countries and better economic conditions.

There are current significant sentiments and government policies that may disrupt the natural global migration. There is an immigrant fatigue among the European nations, US, Canada, and Australia. Their nationals and their government believe there are too many immigrants and now want to restrict the quantity and quality. This is partly due to the backlash against Muslim terrorists, the behavior and non-assimilation of immigrants, and the perceived economic burden of the migrants to the host countries. The fear of terrorism and crime are valid, but the economic burden is not; as migrants are net contributors to the economic output of both the origin and destination countries. They work/earn in the host countries and remit part of their earnings to their mother countries, increasing the GDP of both countries.

Globalization, advances in IT, and demographic changes many countries will have positive and negative implications on international migration. People are/will be more aware of political and economic opportunities in other countries and may opt to go there. Falling birth rates and demographics are depopulating some advanced countries that will need migrants. Some Japanese towns have more houses than people, their local governments are giving away free houses; and next year Japan will allow 500,000 temporary migrant workers and 500,000 skilled immigrants. World migration will peak at 4% of world population, but destination countries will be more selective for both temporary and permanent immigrants. They want targeted/desirable immigrants.