Today, over 1 billion people are on the move.
The total estimated 281 million people living in a country other than their countries of birth in 2020 was 128 million more than in 1990, and over three times the estimated number in 1970.
Europe and Asia each hosted around 87 and 86 million international migrants, respectively – comprising 61% of the global international migrant stock. These regions were followed by North America, with almost 59 million international migrants in 2020 or 21% of the global migrant stock, Africa at 9%, Latin America and the Caribbean at 5%, and Oceania at 3%. The United States has been the top country of destination for international migration with the number of foreign-born quadrupling from 12 million in 1970 to 51 million in 2020. (International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Migration, World Migration Report, 2022).
In addition, approximately 89.4 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced. These include 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million asylum seekers, 3.9 displaced Venezuelans, and 55 million IDPs. The war in Ukraine has caused 7.2 million people to leave the country and another 7 million to leave their homes within the country. (UNHCR, Regional Bureau for Europe, Ukraine Situation Flash Update #29, Sept. 2022).
Finally, over 800 million internal migrants moving from rural areas to large metropolises for employment and education. (International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Migration, World Migration Report, 2022).
Relational Realism for Christian Ministry 關係論與基督教事工 