Getting your Migration Analysis Together by Integrating Internal and International Migration (original) (raw)
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International Organization for Migration The demographics of global internal migration
2014
Although international migrants represent about three per cent of the world’s population – or about 214 million people – the UN Secretary- General’s latest report on migration trends suggests that the total number of internal migrants is even larger. However, the dearth of reliable global data on internal migrants – and the lack of cross-national measures – makes the exact number difficult to determine. Between 2011 and 2012, Gallup set out to do just that via its self-funded annual World Poll, uniformly asking 236,865 adults in 139 countries whether they had moved from another city or area within their respective countries in the past five years. With the 139 countries representing 97 per cent of the world’s adults, Gallup reliably estimated that eight per cent of adults have moved within their countries in the past five years. This translates to approximately 381 million adults aged 15 and older worldwide who have moved during the fiveyear period; of these, about 196 million are w...
Cross-National Comparison of Internal Migration
2009
Internal migration is the most significant process driving changes in the pattern of human settlement across much of the world, yet remarkably few attempts have been made to compare internal migration between countries. Differences in data collection, in geography and in measurement intervals seriously hinder rigorous cross-national comparisons. We supplement data from the University of Minnesota IPUMS collection to make comparisons between 28 countries using both five year and lifetime measures of migration, and focusing particularly on migration intensity and spatial impacts. We demonstrate that Courgeau's k (Courgeau 1973) provides a powerful mechanism to transcend differences in statistical geography. Our results reveal widespread differences in the intensity of migration, and in the ages at which it occurs, with Asia generally displaying low mobility and sharp, early peaks, whereas Latin America and the Developed Countries show higher mobility and flatter age profiles usually peaking at older ages. High mobility is commonly offset by corresponding counter-flows but redistribution through internal migration is substantial in some countries, especially when computed as a lifetime measure. Time series comparisons show five year migration intensities falling in most countries (China being a notable exception), although lifetime data show more widespread rises due to age structure effects. Globally, we estimate that 740 million people, one in eight, were living within their home country but outside their region of birth, substantially above the commonly cited figure of 200 million international migrants.
Migration is humming with activity and fuelled by the changing nature of typologies, geographies, drivers and, more importantly, changing soceities. At the same time, 'migration' continues to be a key concern of public and policy debates, especially as intersectional issues of labour rights, citizenship, ethnicity and health inequalities. Alongside the traditional migration categories, new typologies have developed that present particular internal dynamics. The complexity of current migration phenomena, the obstacles in data collection and the limitations in theoretical framework pose challenges for migration studies. Valid, reliable, scientifically driven conceptualisations and arguments on migration are a critical need of the hour-not only for researchers and policymakers, but also for the public whose opinion has a significant role in policymaking. It is important to develop theoretical frameworks and statistical resources that capture the dynamism of migration, the various intersections of identity, economics, globalisation and gender accurately. Ongoing efforts for harmonising definitions and new data sources have contributed to the availability and quality of information on migratory flows. Nevertheless, coherence, consistency and comparability in national and international migration statistics may still be the exception rather than the standard. Today in 2020, although a lot of things have drastically changed, the same challenges and gaps about migration statistics continue to persist. These shortcomings constitute a notable obstacle for researchers and authorities to understand global migration patterns better, develop scenarios, design effective policies, monitor the needs of the population, and to identify how these needs change over time. In the last few decades, there have been multiple attempts by national governments, international and regional organisations, and private institutions to collect better data on migration. However, the existing data on international migration suffers from problems (gaps) of inconsistency in definitions and data collection methodology, lack of adequate statistics, ignorance of new data sources and limitations for comparability, among others. On the other hand, it has also been questioned whether existing migration theories and capture contemporary migration patterns, dynamics and status. Recent changes in the dynamics and modalities of migration have not yet been studied beyond predominant theories and their components. Scholars and international institutions have repeatedly highlighted these issues and insisted on the urgent need for comprehensive, accurate and timely data on migration. In spite of efforts, actual improvements have been limited. The ultimate goal of this report is to critically discuss and identify the contemporary gaps in migration data and to map theories and the contemporary migration reality. This elaborate report comprised three sections: a brief overview of major theories of migration, gaps assessment in theories and data and the theories and contemporary migration realities nexus. The discussion of each part is based on detailed and critical reviews. A final analysis of the different perspectives in each section highlights the findings and recommendations. Main conclusions serve as the updated and detailed list of long-lasting shortcomings of the migration theories and data. Although solution suggestions are not part of the specific objectives of this report, the identified gaps will be the starting point for the assessment and validation of alternative data sources and new methodologies to develop better understanding of the migration scnearios. In addition to that, developed recommendations are a considered process of using findings of this report to help policymakers, data collecting institutes and researchers with making decisions on future actions regarding the improvement of the knowledge on the migration scenarios. This report constitutes Deliverable 2.1, for Work Package 2 of the HumMingBird project.
Studying internal migration in a cross-national context
Internal Migration in the Developed World, 2017
This book draws together empirical material on temporal trends in internal migration in selected countries across the developed world in order to explore whether the decline in migration intensity observed in the USA is evident in other developed societies. If the trends in the USA are observed across a suite of comparator nations, then it becomes plausible to contend that the structural economic and social changes that have taken place across the advanced nations of Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia have acted to reduce the propensity for internal migration. If, on the other hand, each country has experienced different, and possibly unique, temporal trends in migration rates in recent decades, the opportunity for grand theory formulation becomes less attractive. Alternatively, it may be that declining migration intensity is not confined to countries that are economically advanced, but that it is more widely spread across nations at earlier stages of development, as indeed seems to be the case with the evidence presented in Chapter 1, which suggests that there is a general period effect that is acting on all countries to a greater or lesser extent. The question which is the focus of the book clearly requires a cross-national comparative perspective. Given the weight of research that has focussed on internal migration in all its guises across several disciplines, it is tempting to assume that cross-national analysis is straightforward and analyses of migration behaviour in different countries abound. This, however, is not the case; our basic question is easy to pose but much harder to answer as countrieseven those with well-established population data systemsdiffer in the way that data are collected, in their definitions of migration, and in the spatio-temporal coverage of the data that are available. Consequently, previous cross-national studies of internal migration have tended to focus on comparisons between a relatively small number of selected countries rather than confront the challenges of data collection and harmonisation associated with a more comprehensive set of countries. This book falls primarily into the former category by asking individual experts to produce case studies for seven countries that answer the same general questions without being rigidly prescriptive about the means of doing this. In this sense, it differs from studies designed to compare migration using a standard set of migration indicators in two countries (e.g., Bell et al., 2002) or to compare one dimension of migration amongst a relatively small set of countries (e.g., Long et al., 1988). However, it does also
Internal and International Migration: Is a Dichotomous Approach Justified?
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
Population migration has two components, domestic and international, those are often analyzed separately. This paper attempts to seek out what are the theoretical and empirical relationships between them, and lays the foundations of a unified based on the similarities of both migratory phenomena. A review of the contributions that discussed the existing dichotomy between the two types of migration and attempted to carry out an integrated analysis is complemented with a review of the most common research approaches for both types. An empirical analysis of net internal and international migration is carried out for several OECD countries, which validates this approach and assesses both the similarities, and the degree of divergence between them that requires a distinct approach.
Migration: A Complex Societal Phenomenon to Decipher
Journal of Migration and Settlement Studies., 2024
Migration, a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon, shapes societies globally. This study investigates the motivations, mechanisms, and effects of migration through sociological and economic lenses. The core problem addressed is the increasing complexity of migration’s impact on demographic structures and socio-economic integration. The study aims to decipher the interplay between migration drivers and societal consequences while proposing actionable strategies for policy development. Grounded in theories such as Marxism, functionalism, and the Chicago School's ecological approach, the research explores push-pull dynamics and their implications. A mixed-methods approach, including qualitative interviews and policy analysis, was adopted to collect comprehensive data. Key findings highlight that inclusive policies enhance integration and mitigate socio-economic disparities, while restrictive frameworks exacerbate exclusion and inequality. To address these challenges, the study recommends adopting integrative policies emphasizing cultural inclusion, equitable access to education, and labor market opportunities. This approach seeks to foster harmonious coexistence and capitalize on migration’s potential as a driver for mutual growth and development. Keywords: and repulsion, Migration, Social relations, Theoretical approaches.
Cross-National Comparisons of Internal Migration
2009
Internal migration is the most significant process driving changes in the pattern of human settlement across much of the world, yet remarkably few attempts have been made to compare internal migration between countries. Differences in data collection, in geography and in measurement intervals seriously hinder rigorous cross-national comparisons. We supplement data from the University of Minnesota IPUMS collection to make