Migration is a growing issue, but it remains a challenge to define who actually is a migrant

Abstract

According to the United Nations, more people live in a country other than their place of birth today than ever before. The 2017 migration statistics show that about 34 people out of every 1,000 lived away from their place of birth. This number was over 31 in 2010, and 28 in 2000. Although the number of migrants is expected to grow, a clear understanding of contemporary migration remains a challenge. However, despite the well-founded criticisms levelled against the UN data on migration, they remain the most widely used set of figures globally. An important characteristic of the data set is its origin. They are mainly produced through official population censuses by the respective member states, using public money. Everyone has a stake in improving the quality of these data for a better understanding of the complexity of South Asian and global migration.