Migration

Ladies and gentlemen,

Migration is certainly not a recent phenomenon; on the contrary, it has been part of the
human history since its very beginning. Human migration is the movement by people from one
place to another with the intention of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location.
The movement is typically over long distances and from one country to another, but internal
migration is also possible.
According to International Organization of Migration, there are about one billion
migrants around the world. This number includes 214 million international migrants and 740
million internally displaced persons. People either move by choice—voluntary migration, or are
forced to move—involuntary migration.
Voluntary migration is migration based on one's free will and initiative. Economic
reasons have always been among the main reasons for migration. Life in poverty and despair
often forces people to search a better life. The gap between the developed countries and the third
world countries increases year by year, as a result people move to industrialized countries in
order to have stable earnings, better employment opportunities and higher standards of living. In
Europe, the immigrant population clearly tends to settle in cities where labour markets are larger
and infrastructure (e.g. hospitals, schools, universities, commodities) is better consolidated.
Thus, in 2014, about three-fifths (61.3%) of immigrants of non-EU background were living in
cities, as opposed to almost a quarter (24.7%) in towns and one seventh (13.9%) in rural areas. In
terms of education, the United States graduate programs have been a particularly strong
attraction for young, talented individuals around the world. Individuals can also migrate in
search of services, such as life-saving surgery and medical treatment that are inaccessible in their
home area.
Forced migration is a negative form of migration, often caused by persecution,
development, or exploitation. Conflict is the most common factor for forced migration around
the world and throughout history. According to the National Geographic’s Earth Pulse, there are
approximately 42 million people worldwide who have been forced to migrate due to war. War
and armed conflict have diverse causes but all these factors are influenced by political issues.
War migrants not only migrate to the usual countries such as United States, United Kingdom,
Canada, and Australia, they also migrate within their own geographical areas such as within their
continent. Most war migrants become refugees or asylum seekers. Refugees International
indicates that by the end of 2015, there were 65.3 million refugees globally.
However, if not well managed, international migration can also have negative
consequences, such as the loss of valuable human resources and skills in countries of origin or
rising xenophobia, which can lead to poor integration, discrimination, exploitation, or even abuse
in countries of destination.
To sum up, migration has therefore always been – and will remain – an inevitable part of
the human experience. While the reasons to move may seem different, everyone that moves and
takes the step to immigrate does it to improve their lives. However, this can be dangerous and
have negative effects both on the country of origin and destination.

Thank you !