2025-12-17T22:00:31+00:00

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Shafaq News – Geneva

The number of international migrants worldwide reached 281
million in 2020, equivalent to 3.6% of the global population, according a
report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

International Migrants Day, observed on December 18, raises
awareness of the rights, contributions, and challenges of migrants worldwide.

The report noted that 146 million were men and 135 million
were women, including 28 million children, representing roughly 1.4% of the
world’s child population.

International Migrants Day, observed on December 18, raises
awareness of the rights, contributions, and challenges of migrants worldwide.

Data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) indicate that by
June 2025, there were 117.3 million forcibly displaced people globally. They
were driven from their homes by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights
violations, or events seriously disrupting public order. This total includes
67.8 million internally displaced persons, 42.5 million refugees, and 8.42
million asylum seekers seeking international protection.

The IOM report highlights that forced displacement has
steadily increased over the past decade, driven by war, political instability,
and natural disasters. By the end of 2022, more than half of the world’s
refugees were hosted in just 10 countries, with Turkiye hosting the largest
number for the seventh consecutive year—around 3.6 million refugees, mostly
Syrians under international protection.

According to the OECD report, while permanent migration
flows to member countries slightly declined in 2024 following the pandemic,
they remained above historical averages.

During the same year, 3 million new asylum applications were
submitted to OECD countries, marking the highest number in the organization’s
history. More than half of the applications were lodged in the United States,
with notable increases also observed in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Venezuela, Colombia, Syria, Afghanistan, and India were the
leading countries of origin for asylum seekers. The OECD report also noted that
several countries experiencing high migration flows have implemented policy
changes aimed at limiting immigration.