IOM: number of international migrants can reach 405 million by 2050

PanARMENIAN.Net - The world will be taken by surprise by the relentless pace of migration unless States, international organizations and civil society make a concerted effort to invest in how they respond to it, says the World Migration Report (WMR) 2010 launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to the report, “The Future of Migration: Building Capacities for Change,” if the number of international migrants, estimated at 214 million in 2010, continues to grow at the same pace as during the last 20 years, it could reach 405 million by 2050.

One of the reasons for this steep rise will be significant growth in the labor force in developing countries from 2.4 billion in 2005 to 3.6 billion in 2040, accentuating the global mismatch between labour supply and demand. The impact of environmental change will also affect migration trends in the future.

Although hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year to strengthen the ability of States to effectively manage migration, WMR 2010 notes that responses to current and emerging migration challenges and opportunities are often short-term, piecemeal and fragmented. This is having a profound effect on human mobility and economic and social development, with every country affected in some way.