Top 10 Migration Issues of 2009
D. McCourtie/World Bank
The Migration Information Source's annual review of the year covers various trends and events.
With the global recession touching so many facets of life, the Top 10 Migration Issues of 2009 assesses the various ways in which the economic meltdown has shaped migrants' lives and pushed countries to adapt their policies. The Top 10 issue also focuses on migration-related events that made headlines around the world, such as the bulldozing of the Calais "jungle," as well as the less visible ones, such as Brazil's legalization of Bolivian migrants.
The Recession's Impact on Immigrants
The 2009 recession hit immigrants harder than native-born workers across the world's major economies, and economists predicted little…
Enforcement Tactics Shift in the Obama Era - But What About Immigration Reform?
The Obama administration shifted U.S. immigration enforcement in 2009, even as broad legislative reform slipped toward 2010.
Buyer's Remorse on Immigration Continues
The 2009 recession drove governments in Europe, Asia, and North America to tighten immigration rules.
What the Recession Wasn't
Contrary to recession-era fears, 2009 saw neither mass immigrant departures nor systematic xenophobic attacks in destination countries.
Recession Prompts Some Governments to Cut Immigrant Integration Funding
The 2009 recession split European approaches on immigrant integration.
Canada Bucks the Trend and Keeps Immigration Targets Steady
Canada held immigration levels steady during the 2009 recession while others cut back.
The World Is Talking about Climate Change and Migration
With displacement estimates ranging from 25 million to 1 billion by 2050, focus on climate-induced migration grew ahead of the UN Climate Change…
More Countries Entering into Post 9/11-Era Information-Sharing Agreements
After years of slow progress, 2009 brought a wave of information-sharing agreements among major destination countries.
Some Relief for Immigrants in the Developing World
While much of the world tightened immigration in 2009, South Africa, Brazil, and Costa Rica moved to extend protections and legal statuses.
Asylum Seekers Unnerve Governments
As asylum applications rose in early 2009, countries such as France and Australia took harder lines.
