Introduction to Migration: what is Migration?

International migration is the movement of individuals and people from one country or region to another. It can be voluntarily chosen to search for new and better opportunities, or forced to escape negative or dangerous situations. It has always been integral to the human condition and the patterns of movement reflect an ever-changing world.

Who migrates and where? Numbers and flows

According to the United Nations, by 2005around 191 million people lived outside the country of their birth, or 3% of the world population. They had moved as follows:

• 62 million from poor to rich countries
• 61 million from poor to poor countries
• 53 million from rich to rich countries
• 14 million from rich to poor countries

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