The Migration Trend - Some Basics

Migration is one of the influencing factors that changesforced migrants. Fuelled by a combination of push
our lives. And apparently migration is a trend that willfactors in source countries and pull factors in receiving
continue to influence our lives.countries." So the "desire" to migrate comes from... "a
Migration is the collective noun for both immigration andwell-developed networks that link the supply of labour
emigration. We all know what that is; we are all dealingwith the demand of businesses for both highly skilled
with it, either direct or indirectly. Globalisation on theand unskilled workers." This in the case of voluntary
other hand is a lot more abstract. It could be definedmigration). "Forced migration is fuelled by conflicts,
as; ...the integration of economic and capital marketshuman rights abuses and political repression that
throughout the world. Bringing the world closer throughdisplace people from their home communities. "
better world-wide communication, transport and tradeAlthough the overall share of migrants is less than
links. The creation of a "Global Village", wherethree percent of the world population, the migration
members of the same industry from around the worldflows increase beyond the growth of the world
interact on a large scale. (London Stock Exchange)population: "During the period from 1985 to 1990, global
According to the council of Europe, globalization andpopulation growth increased by about 1.7 percent per
migration represent two of the most dynamic globalyear, whereas the total population of international
socio-political trends. Although each shows a propermigrants increased by 2.59 percent per year." (
dynamic, both (phenomenon) are highly interrelated.Interesting is also a recent article on (e)migration
Globalization creates situations -- economic inequalitiesfocused on the German situation: In 2004 more than
for example -- which increase "the pressure and150,000 Germans... were going abroad-the highest
intensify the desire to migrate." (number since 1884.
The OECD exposes that "record numbers of peopleAt the same time the immigration decreased heavily
are moving to many OECD countries in search of jobsover the last years... Hard numbers are difficult to find,
and to join their families... the economic down-turn inbut anecdotal evidence suggests that many more
some OECD countries has not affected the upwardacademics are leaving Germany than are arriving, in
trend in international migration which began in thecontrast with countries such as the United States and
mid-1990s. The United States admitted more than aSweden that have a net "brain-gain". According to a
million permanent immigrants in 2001 and 2002, 25%German medical organisation, about 12,000 German
more than in 2000. In the same time period, severaldoctors now work abroad ("Germany: land of
European countries, including Austria, France andemigration. Auf wiedersehen, Fatherland" (
Switzerland, admitted about 15% more immigrants.Migration is an important drive for change. People that
(OECD, Jan. 2004)migrate will have to deal with change. But in this case,
The journal of Humanitarian Assistance elaborates onthe migration trend will change (all) our lives. In fact it
the same topic: "Longer-term international migrantsalready does affect us in many ways.
belong to two broad groups: voluntary migrants and