Current Character of International Migration - Essay Example

Current Character of International Migration In recent years, the international community and states have raised their focus about issues of international migration. Great displacement of people owing to natural disasters and conflict are often given key media coverage. However, it is the extra steady and important flow of migrants strained by the viewpoint of enhanced political, economic and social circumstances that have lately elicited the most intensive attention and with it, fresh hypothesis for comprehending the trend (Popjaková, and Martin, 59).

International migration is a complicated topic and no state is excused from its impact. In fact, every nation is a nation of origin, as well as of destination for the migrants. Migration is also complicated since it can recur in the life of a person, and yet there is scarcity of statistics on immigration. Most third world nations do not have the ability to conduct policy relevant to analysis that is founded on statistical study. There are diverse types of immigrants such as migrant workers, migrants admitted to unify with their refugee families, student immigrants and illegal immigrants [those with no certification].

Thus, state policies about migration vary with the type of migrant or the category of migrant. This paper looks at trends of migration across the world (Popjaková, and Martin, 59). Trends of Migration Data that were published by the Global Commission on International Migration show the level of international migration. In 2005, there were over 191 million migrants worldwide. These immigrants were bifurcated as 115 million in the industrialized nations, and 57 million in the third world nations.

Europe only had 34 percent of these immigrants, followed by America with 23 percent and Asia, 28 percent. Africa had only 9 percent. Latin America and the Caribbean had 4 percent (Popjaková, and Martin, 61). Although migrants are in all continents, yet the greatest host is Europe. Europe accounts for 7.7 percent of its population, whereas the largest percentage of the population is in Australia. The United States only is home to about 20 percent of the world’s migrants ((Popjaková, and Martin, 62).

In the Arab world, and particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, migrants of different origins make up as much as 38.5 percent of the population or about 12.5 millions migrants. In individual countries, the percentage ranges from 26 percent on the low side to 80 percent on the high side. This is because, out of the total percentage of workers in these nations, migrants comprise of 74 percent. Nevertheless, the non-Gulf still comprise of 3.5 million (Popjaková, and Martin, 62). In Asia, there are 49.

9 million foreigners who make up 1.4 percent of the Asian population. 4.9 million of Latin American migrants, account for 1.1 percent of Latin America’s population. In Africa, 16.3 million foreigners account for 2 percent of its population. West Africa has 42 percent of the migrants and Eastern Africa, 28 percent. These parts have the highest number of migrant compared to the rest of Africa. North Africa has 12 percent while central and South Africa has 9 percent each (Popjaková, and Martin, 69).

Migration is caused by diverse reasons and the topic of international migration appears to be complicated thus, requires to be analysed thoroughly and with keenness. Europe is the greatest host of migrants while Asia and Latin America have the least number of foreigners in their population. Work cited Popjaková, Dagmar, and Martin Plešivčak. "Current Character of International Migration." International Issues & Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs. 18.4 (2009): 57-78. Print.