The estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades. Approximately 281 million people are international migrants living in a country other than their own country of birth, in part owing to the devasting impacts of conflict, disaster and climate change that force them to migrate. At the end of 2021, 59.1 million people were internally displaced – 53.2 million were due to conflict and violence while 5.9 million were due to disaster.
However, the lure of a well-paid job in a wealthy country such as the UK is also a powerful drive of international migration and that attraction has continued to grow as income differentials amongst countries continue to grow. Migrants play a vital role in the global economy, bringing growth and innovation in both the countries they come from and in those they move to by contributing their knowledge, networks, and skills to build stronger and more resilient communities and it’s only right that their contributions be protected and recognised.
This is where International Migrants Day comes in; to recognise the day on which protection of the rights of migrant workers and their families was introduced.
What are the different types of migration?
- Internal migration = moving within a state, country, or continent.
- External migration = moving to a different state, country, or continent.
- Emigration = leaving one country to move to another.
- Immigration = moving into a new country.
- Return migration = moving back to the country in which you were born.
- Seasonal migration = moving with each season or in response to labour or climate conditions.
Challenges and opportunities of hiring migrant workers
While many employers are willing to support migrants through training and internships, hiring – into more skilled occupations – has so far been limited. The slow uptake has been partly blamed on uncertainty regarding a migrant’s right to access the labour market, uncertainty about their skills and qualifications and perceived issues as a result of language barriers.
However, migrant workers contribute to a large part of the employment window across many countries in the world. Albeit the hiring process is not as straightforward as it may be compared to those in their home country, their contribution and skills should not go unnoticed. Hiring migrants can have many benefits for businesses:
- Giving access to international talent to not only help improve productivity and growth of your organisation but ensure a diverse level knowledge and skill set amongst employees to fill key skills gaps.
- Sharing knowledge to support the upskilling of co-workers.
- Strengthening contacts in international markets and local networks through new language skills and cultural awareness.
- Creating a more diverse workforce with varied experience and ways of working.