Top 10 Migration Issues of 2008
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Global events in 2008 had wide-ranging effects on migration patterns.
The seismic changes in the global economy that took place in 2008 will affect international migration patterns, in obvious and less obvious ways. One thing is clear: policymakers will need to adapt to the rapidly shifting needs of their labor markets as jobs become scarcer. The global economic downturn's effects on remittance flows, the hunt for skilled workers, return migration, and shifting immigration policies are among the topics examined in the Top 10 Migration Issues of 2008.
"Buyer's Remorse" on Immigration Policy
Spain legalized 560,000 migrants in 2005, but by 2008 unemployment was high and the country was offering them cash to leave.
The Recession-Proof Race for Highly Skilled Migrants
Gloomy economic forecasts have not slowed the global hunt for highly skilled migrants.
Remittance Patterns in Flux
Remittances to developing countries were on track for $283 billion in 2008, but recession in migrant-sending countries threatened flows that nations…
Immigration Ultimately Not an Issue in the 2008 Election
Immigration was poised to be a defining wedge issue in the 2008 U.S. presidential election in 2008, but the economic crisis pushed it aside.
Xenophobia Rising
2008 brought a new wave of xenophobia in places such as South Africa and Italy.
Return Migration: Changing Directions?
Return programs in Europe and the United States found few takers in 2008.
Demography and Migration Flows: Do Shrinking Populations Mean More Migrants?
Demographic pressure is prompting historic shifts in places such as Japan.
Building Border Fences
Border fencing surged in 2008 across the United States, Israel, and India.
Warming up to Circular Migration?
Circular migration is evolving to incorporate models that also aim to support migrants' development at home.
Struggles of Iraqi Refugees Continue
Iraq was the world's top source of asylum seekers in 2008, with 4.7 million displaced and most unwilling or unable to return home despite some…
