What the Latest UN Report Reveals About Global Migration Trends in 2024
Global Migration Insights from the UN
United Nations: According to a recent report by the United Nations migration agency, the migration routes from India to the United Arab Emirates and the United States rank among the top ten international corridors for migration in 2024.
The World Migration Report 2026, published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday, indicates that approximately 304 million individuals were residing outside their countries of birth as of mid-2024. The share of international migrants in the global population has seen a slight increase, rising from 2.9% in 1990 to 3.7% in 2024.
The report highlights that the corridor from Mexico to the United States remains the largest globally, with around 11 million migrants.
Following this, the second largest corridor is from Afghanistan to Iran, hosting over 3.7 million migrants, while Syria to Turkiye ranks third with more than 3.5 million, primarily consisting of refugees from the Syrian civil conflict. The migration route between Russia and Ukraine is fourth.
The India-UAE corridor is noted as the fifth largest, primarily consisting of migrant workers. The UAE is home to over 8 million international migrants, making up 74% of its population, with Indians being the largest group at over three million.
The corridor from India to the US is identified as the sixth largest globally. However, it is the second largest migration route involving North American countries, following the Mexico-US corridor.
The report states that around 3.2 million Indian migrants were residing in the United States in 2024, making them the second largest foreign-born group after Mexicans. Other estimates suggest that the Indian diaspora in the US could be as high as five million.
The IOM report notes a significant and continuous increase in the number of Indian migrants over the decades, many of whom arrive in the US as skilled professionals or international students.
Following the Indian diaspora, the report mentions that migrants from China and the Philippines also have substantial numbers in the US, with nearly 2.5 million and approximately 2.3 million, respectively, in 2024.
The report emphasizes that diasporas often engage in political advocacy, influencing policies in both their home and host countries.
For instance, the Indian diaspora in the US, particularly through organizations like the United States India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), has played a role in shaping US-India relations, enhancing bilateral trade, defense cooperation, and visa policies beneficial to both nations.
Additionally, significant migration corridors from Asia include large numbers of workers from India and Bangladesh to Gulf nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The top 20 migration corridors for 2024 also feature the Bangladesh-India corridor at 11th and India-Saudi Arabia at 14th.
The report further notes that the gender distribution among migrants in Asia's top ten destination and origin countries varies significantly compared to other regions. In Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, there is a notably higher proportion of male immigrants.
Conversely, India shows a higher percentage of female immigrants. Among the leading countries of origin in Asia, most, with the exceptions of China and the Philippines, have a larger share of male emigrants.
Countries with a high ratio of male emigrants include India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Indonesia. This male-dominated migration trend is largely influenced by labor migration patterns, particularly towards Gulf and Southeast Asian nations, where there is a strong demand for workers in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.