Introduction

The previous chapter provides an overview of migration globally, with specific reference to international migrants and migration flows. Particular migrant groups – including international students, refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) – and international remittances were also discussed. Chapter 3 is focused primarily at the regional level in order to provide a more detailed picture of migration, which sets out a different but complementary perspective on migrants and movements in different parts of the world.¹

Our starting point is geographic, rather than thematic, given that geography is one of the fundamentals underpinning migration today, just as it was in the past. Notwithstanding increasing globalization, geography is one of the most significant factors shaping patterns of migration and displacement. Many people who migrate across borders do so within their immediate regions, to countries that are close by, countries to which it may be easier to travel, that may be more familiar, and from which it may also be easier to return. For people who are displaced, finding safety quickly is paramount. People, therefore, tend to be displaced to safer locations nearby, whether that is within their own countries or across international borders.

This chapter seeks to assist migration policymakers, practitioners, researchers and students to make better sense of international migration globally by using a geographic perspective to present regional migration overviews. The analysis in this chapter focuses on six world regions as defined by the United Nations, and used by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and other organizations:

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Northern America
• Oceania

For each of these regions, the analysis includes: (a) an overview and brief discussion of key migration statistics based on data compiled and reported by UN DESA, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC); and (b) succinct descriptions of “key features and developments” in migration in the region, based on a wide range of data, information and analyses from international organizations, researchers and analysts.

To account for the diversity of migration patterns, trends and issues within each of the six regions, the descriptive narratives of key features and developments are presented at the subregional level. For Asia, for example, this cascade approach allows for the presentation of insights from statistical data on Asia as a whole, followed by summary information on subregions, including Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia. A breakdown of the regions and subregions is provided in Appendix A. These subregional overviews provide information on migration patterns from, within and to the subregions.² Beyond this, attention has been paid to particular features that exist in a subregion, such as labour migration and international remittances, irregular migration, human trafficking, and displacement (internal and international). The subregional overviews are not intended to be exhaustive, but are designed to be illustrative of key trends and recent changes in migration.

It is important to note that this chapter builds on the previous regional chapters of the World Migration Reports of 2018, 2020 and 2022 by providing an update on statistics and current issues.³ Significant changes over the two years since the last edition of the World Migration Report have been reflected in this chapter (up until the end of October 2023), which incorporates some of the recent data and information on migration. Recent events, including those related to conflict and disaster displacement events in countries such as Ukraine, the Sudan, Pakistan, Türkiye, Haiti and Malawi are discussed, as well as some of the key policy developments across the various subregions. The chapter draws on the existing evidence base, and sources are provided in end notes and the references section. We encourage readers to refer to sources cited in this chapter to learn more about topics of interest. Thematic chapters in this volume may also be of interest, including those on migration and human security, gender and migration, COVID-19 impacts, and recent developments in the global governance of migration.