A process of moving, either across an international border, or within a State. It is a population movement, encompassing any kind of movement of people, whatever its length, composition and causes; it includes migration of refugees, displaced persons, uprooted people, and economic migrants. (IOM)

Migration is considered one of the defining global issues of the early twenty-first century, as more and more people are on the move today than at any other point in human history. There are now about 192 million people living outside their place of birth, which is about three per cent of the world's population.

This means that roughly one of every thirty-five persons in the world is a migrant. Between 1965 and 1990, the number of international migrants increased by 45 million-an annual growth rate of about 2.1 per cent. The current annual growth rate is about 2.9 per cent. Discourse on migration involves many perspectives. There is growing recognition that migration is an essential and inevitable component of the economic and social life of every State, and that orderly and properly managed migration can be beneficial for both individuals and societies. The multiple and complex dimensions of migration include:

• labour migration
• family reunification
• migration and security
• combating irregular migration
• migration and trade
• migrant rights
• health and migration
• integration
• migration and development.

Policy makers and practitioners need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the multi-dimensional phenomenon of migration in order to manage it effectively. A comprehensive and cooperative approach to international migration management is required to deal with the migration pressures of this century. Such an approach will include policies and programmes for migration and development, facilitating migration, regulating migration, and forced migration. To be successful, international migration management cannot be undertaken by governments unilaterally.

There are many global trends behind today's mobile world that will impact migration and migration management, including:

• demographic trends
• economic disparities between developing and developed countries
• trade liberalization necessitating a more mobile labour force
• communication networks linking all parts of the world
• transnational migration.

Facts and Figures:

• There are an estimated 191 million migrants worldwide in 2005, up from 176 million in 2000.
• Migrants comprise 3.0 per cent of the global population.
• The number of the migrants worldwide would constitute the fifth most populous country in the world.
• Women accounted for 49.6 per cent of global migrants in 2005.
• In 2005, remittance flows are estimated to have exceeded USD 233 billion worldwide, USD 167 billion of which went to developing countries.
• There are roughly 30 to 40 million unauthorized migrants worldwide, comprising around 15 to 20 percent of the world's immigrant stock.
• There are between seven and eight million undocumented migrants in Europe.
• According to 2005 estimates, the US hosts 10.3 million undocumented migrants. Approximately 500,000 arrive each year.
• The US has the largest absolute number of irregular immigrants, which make up about 30 percent of its total foreign-born population.
• In 2005, there were 23.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 50 countries compared to 25 million IDPs in 49 countries the year before.
• In 2005, the global number of refugees reached an estimated 8.4 million persons.

Migration affecting children:

Migration can affect children in different forms. “Affected children” is used to refer to children and young people under 18 years of age:

• Migrating with their parents (children of migrants)
• Migrating alone
• Left behind by one or both migrating parents
• Living in context affected by migration

Migrant children are at high risk to be abused in form of:

• Child labour
• Child trafficking
• Violence
• Conflict with the law
• Lack of birth registration/stateless
• Early marriage

References:

IOM: http://www.iom.int/jahia/page3.html
IOM: http://www.iom.int/jahia/page254.html
UN

Definition:
IOM: http://www.old.iom.int/DOCUMENTS/PUBLICATION/EN/Glossary.pdf