Global migration has reached unprecedented levels in modern history, driven by a convergence of forced displacement, economic inequality, armed conflict, and climate change. According to Al-Akhbar, recent international reports released in conjunction with the International Migrants Day on 18 December reveal the scale and complexity of population movements worldwide, underscoring migration as one of the defining global challenges of the twenty-first century.
Data from the World Migration Report 2024, published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), show that approximately 281 million people—around 3.6 percent of the world’s population—were living outside their countries of origin by 2020. This figure represents a historic high and reflects profound changes not only in the volume of migration, but also in its dynamics. Of these migrants, 135 million were women and 146 million men, including 28 million children, who account for roughly 1.4 percent of the global child population.
Even more striking is the rise in forced displacement. According to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cited by Al-Akhbar, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reached 117.3 million by June 2025. This includes 67.8 million internally displaced persons, 42.5 million refugees, and 8.42 million asylum seekers. These individuals were driven from their homes by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events that seriously disrupted public order. The steady increase in forced displacement over the past decade reflects the persistence of wars, political instability, and the growing impact of natural disasters linked to climate change.
The IOM report highlights a striking concentration of responsibility. By the end of 2022, more than half of the world’s refugees were hosted by just ten countries. Turkey ranked as the world’s largest refugee-hosting country for the seventh consecutive year, providing international protection to approximately 3.6 million refugees, most of them Syrians. This uneven distribution places immense social, economic, and political pressure on a limited number of host states.
Migration trends are also reshaping advanced economies. According to the International Migration Outlook 2025 published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), permanent migration flows to OECD countries remained above historical averages despite a slight decline in 2024 following the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, 6.2 million new permanent migrants entered OECD countries, a figure 15 percent higher than in 2019, before the pandemic.
At the same time, asylum applications reached record levels. OECD countries received three million new asylum requests in 2024, the highest number ever recorded by the organization. More than half of these applications were submitted in the United States, with notable increases also observed in Canada and the United Kingdom. Venezuela, Colombia, Syria, Afghanistan, and India emerged as the main countries of origin for asylum seekers.
Faced with these pressures, many countries experiencing high migration inflows have turned to policy changes aimed at restricting migration. As Al-Akhbar notes, these measures reflect growing political anxiety, even as demographic needs and humanitarian obligations continue to drive migration flows.
Overall, the data point to a world in motion on an unprecedented scale. Migration today is not a temporary phenomenon but a structural reality shaped by global inequality, conflict, and climate disruption. Managing it effectively will require international cooperation that goes beyond border control, addressing the root causes of displacement while balancing humanitarian responsibility with social and economic sustainability.
Source: https://www.al-akhbar.com/world/872287/%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AC%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A9
