The Globalization of Migration: Has the world really become more migratory?
Dr. Hein de Haas , International Migration Institute (IMI), University of Oxford
Although it is commonly believed that the volume, diversity, geographical scope and overall complexity of international migration have increased as part of globalization processes, this idea has remained untested. Analysis of recent data on world migration between 1960 and 2000 challenge the idea that there has been a generic global increase in relative volume, diversity and geographical scope of migration. While international migration has not accelerated in relative terms, main migratory shifts have been directional and are linked to major geopolitical and economic transformations, such as the rise of new ‘migration magnets’, development-driven emigration hikes and the lifting of emigration restrictions. Migration has diversified from an origin country perspective but hardly from a destination country perspective, with migrants from an increasingly diverse array of non-European origin countries concentrating in a shrinking pool of prime destination countries. The global migration map has thus become more skewed. Rather than refuting the globalization of migration hypothesis per se, this reflects the asymmetric nature of globalization processes in general.
This presentation is based on a joint paper-in-progress by Mathias Czaika (University of Oxford) and Hein de Haas (University of Oxford), as part of the ERC-funded DEMIG (Determinants of International Migration) project. See http://www.imi.ox.ac.uk/research-projects/demig for more information.
About the speaker
Hein de Haas's research focuses on the linkages between migration and broader processes of human development and globalisation, primarily from the perspective of migrant-sending societies. He did extensive fieldwork in the Middle East and North Africa and, particularly, Morocco. He has published on a wide range of issues including migration theory, migration and development, remittances and transnationalism, integration, migration determinants, migration futures and the links between migration and environmental change.
Venue: Conference Room
Date: 20 February 2013
Time: 12:30 - 13:30 CET
