By Regina Johnson
A review of the recently released World Migration Report
2026 makes it clear that Southasia today is one of the most influential areas
shaping global migration patterns.
The region is home to some of the world’s largest migrant
populations, and sits at the crossroads of labour mobility, economic dependence
on remittances, climate vulnerability, and displacement. Southasia is not only
a source of migration but a region increasingly central to the future of global
mobility, according to the report.
As of mid-2024, about 304 million people were living in a
country different from the one where they were born, or about 3.7 percent of
the world’s population, according to the migration report. Launched 5 May by
the International Organization for Migration, it was released during the
International Migration Review Forum in New York in early May.
“The aim of this report is to put migration into
perspective,” IOM spokesperson Zoe Brennan said during a 5 May press briefing
at the UN. Brennan went on to say that when people come into communities, those
communities must be prepared to support them. “When migration is well managed,
people feel that there is a sense of control, because everybody benefits when
migration works well,” she added.
One of those benefits is financial. Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka send millions of workers abroad each year,
particularly to the Gulf states, Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America. The
labour demand in construction, healthcare, domestic work, and hospitality
drives most of this migration.
Those workers also send billions back home, which helps sustain not just families but economies across the region. In fact, India continues to rank as the world’s largest recipient of remittances, while other Southasian countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan are not far behind, according to data provided in the report.
The report also sheds light on the vulnerability of many
Southasian migrants, noting that limiting legal pathways increases risks for
migrants, raises costs for states, and reduces the broader benefits migration
can provide. Recruitment costs, exploitative labour practices, wage theft, and
unsafe working conditions continue to affect migrant workers.
Women migrants working in domestic labour remain especially
vulnerable to abuse and limited legal protection. Expanding safer and more
regular migration opportunities, alongside stronger labour protections and fair
recruitment systems, is essential to reducing exploitation, says the report.
Climate change is another major driver reshaping migration
in Southasia. Bangladesh and Pakistan are experiencing growing levels of
climate-related displacement, with millions forced to move internally following
environmental disasters.
In 2024, there were 45.8 million new internal displacements
triggered by disasters, mostly by storms (25.2 million) and floods (19.1
million). But people also moved within their homeland for better jobs, improved
living conditions and education. These displacements occurred across 163
countries and territories, according to the report.
Recognizing that the key challenges to addressing this
problem are limited funding and political support, experts suggest
strengthening city and local government leadership in areas like planned
relocation. They also call for improving regional and international cooperation
to manage displacement and mobility more effectively and ensure that people in
the affected areas participate in decision-making processes.
Jonathan Prentice, Head of Secretariat, United Nations
Network on Migration at IOM stressed in the press briefing that most migration
is not a crisis and happens through “legitimate, safe pathways” but problems
start when people feel like they must move and “enter irregular situations”
like entering a country on a valid visa and overstaying. That “fuels public
concern and anti-migration sentiment” he noted.
Prentice argued that governments should strengthen and
improve legal labour and cooperate more effectively to combat trafficking and
smuggling networks that heighten migrant’s ricks.
Conflict and political instability also continue to shape
migration dynamics in the region. Afghanistan remains one of the world’s
largest displacement crises, with millions of Afghans living as refugees or
migrants across neighbouring countries like Tajikistan and as far away as
Virginia in the U.S. The Afghanistan-to-Iran corridor has seen over 3.7 million
migrants on the move over the last four decades according to the Washington,
D.C. based non-profit Migration Policy Institute.
The World Migration Report highlights the strain that
long-term displacement places on both migrants and host countries, particularly
in regions already facing economic and political problems. By the end of 2024,
global displacement surpassed 120 million people, including a record 83 million
internally displaced persons.
Alongside international migration, internal migration within
Southasian countries is growing. Urbanization, industrial growth, and
environmental pressures are driving millions from rural communities into
expanding cities. This movement is reshaping labour markets, housing systems,
infrastructure demands, and social services across the region.
The World Migration Report 2026 portrays Southasia as both
deeply dependent on migration and transformed by it. Migration continues to
generate economic opportunities, but it also exposes widening inequalities and
vulnerabilities.
Southasia’s future will depend heavily on whether
governments can create safer migration systems, strengthen worker protections,
and prepare for the growing pressures of climate and displacement in the
decades ahead.
Why ‘Southasia’ as one word?
Because our histories entangle, our struggles intersect, and
our futures are bound together. It is not just a spelling choice, it’s a
political and poetic one.
All content published by Sapan News is reported, reviewed,
and approved by humans in accordance with the Institute for Nonprofit News’
standards for transparency and accountability. We do not publish fully
AI-generated journalism, and we remain responsible for the accuracy and
integrity of our reporting. We may use artificial intelligence tools in limited
ways, such as for transcription, translation, or data organisation.
Regina Johnson is coordinating editor, Sapan News. She has
extensively reported on America’s energy policy at S&P Global. A versatile
journalist specializing in feature writing across multiple beats, her articles
have appeared in LATINA Style, Advisors Magazine, Thrive Magazine and Cargo
Facts Magazine. Email: regina@sapannews.com
Courtesy: Sapan News
Comments
Post a Comment