Global citizenship

Core Concepts and Terminology

  • Migration: The physical movement of individuals or groups from one geographical location, region, or country to another, with the intention of temporary or permanent settlement.
  • Host Country: The receiving nation or state where international migrants choose to relocate, reside, and settle.
  • Source Country (Country of Origin): The native state or homeland that migrants depart or leave behind.
  • Diversity: The condition of having a variety of different ethnic, cultural, national, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds represented within a single community, population, or geographic territory.
  • Identity: The collective sense of self, characteristics, beliefs, traditions, and values that define an individual or a social group.
  • Multiple Identities: The psychological, social, and cultural condition wherein an individual constructs, expresses, and navigates more than one distinct identity concurrently.
  • Dual Heritage: A specific condition of social identity wherein an individual's parents originate from differing ethnic, racial, cultural, or religious backgrounds, resulting in inherited traditions and potential loyalty distributed between both parentages.
  • Community Cohesion: The strength of social bonds, shared values, trust, and cooperative interactions within a community that allow it to function effectively across social, economic, political, and environmental dimensions.
  • Brain Drain: The significant depletion of highly trained, educated, professional, or skilled human capital when qualified individuals emigrate in large volumes from a source country to a foreign host country offering superior incentives.

Global Patterns of International Migration

Top 20 destinations and origins of international migrants in 2019

  • Source Context: Empirical baseline compiled from the World Migration Report 2020, published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), assessing international migrant population volumes recorded in 20192019.

  • Top 20 Destination Nations (Host Countries):

    • United States of America: Approaching 51 million51\text{ million} migrants; by far the largest single migrant recipient globally.
    • Germany: Approximately 13.1 million13.1\text{ million} migrants.
    • Saudi Arabia: Approximately 13.1 million13.1\text{ million} migrants.
    • Russian Federation: Approximately 11.6 million11.6\text{ million} migrants.
    • United Kingdom: Approximately 9.6 million9.6\text{ million} migrants.
    • United Arab Emirates: Approximately 8.6 million8.6\text{ million} migrants.
    • France: Approximately 8.3 million8.3\text{ million} migrants.
    • Canada: Approximately 8.0 million8.0\text{ million} migrants.
    • Australia: Approximately 7.5 million7.5\text{ million} migrants.
    • Italy: Approximately 6.3 million6.3\text{ million} migrants.
    • Spain: Approximately 6.1 million6.1\text{ million} migrants.
    • Turkey: Approximately 5.9 million5.9\text{ million} migrants.
    • India: Approximately 5.2 million5.2\text{ million} migrants.
    • Ukraine: Approximately 5.0 million5.0\text{ million} migrants.
    • South Africa: Approximately 4.2 million4.2\text{ million} migrants.
    • Kazakhstan: Approximately 3.7 million3.7\text{ million} migrants.
    • Thailand: Approximately 3.6 million3.6\text{ million} migrants.
    • Malaysia: Approximately 3.5 million3.5\text{ million} migrants.
    • Jordan: Approximately 3.5 million3.5\text{ million} migrants.
    • Pakistan: Approximately 3.3 million3.3\text{ million} migrants.

  • Top 20 Origin Nations (Source Countries):

    • India: Approximately 17.5 million17.5\text{ million} emigrants living abroad; the largest single source population.
    • Mexico: Approximately 11.8 million11.8\text{ million} emigrants.
    • China: Approximately 10.7 million10.7\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Russian Federation: Approximately 10.5 million10.5\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Syrian Arab Republic: Approximately 8.2 million8.2\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Bangladesh: Approximately 7.8 million7.8\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Pakistan: Approximately 6.3 million6.3\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Ukraine: Approximately 6.0 million6.0\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Philippines: Approximately 5.4 million5.4\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Afghanistan: Approximately 5.1 million5.1\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Indonesia: Approximately 4.5 million4.5\text{ million} emigrants.
    • Poland: Approximately 4.4 million4.4\text{ million} emigrants.
    • **United