Middle East & North Africa
Middle East & North Africa
The Middle East and North Africa span both poles of migration: as countries of migrant destination, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and as countries of migrant origin. The region has a large supply of young, active workers, with more than 20 million migrants working elsewhere in the region or in Europe. The research here focuses on labor migration to the region, including the policies and regulations that govern such migration and the role of recruiters; the humanitarian flows that have resulted from wars and political instability; diaspora engagement; and more.
Long a country of emigration and a springboard for migrants aiming to reach Europe, Morocco has emerged as a destination for many sub-Saharan Africans. As more migrants remain in Morocco, the kingdom has implemented policies to aid with integration. But challenges remain, with most of the estimated 700,000 sub-Saharan Africans living in precarious conditions and irregular status despite some legalization programs.
Recent Activity
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By Gloria Moreno-Fontes Chammartin
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Recent Activity
Previously confined to everyday conversations among migrants and their families, remittances are now on the minds of most governments, members of civil society, the international community, and, to some extent, the private sector. The continued deficiency in our understanding of some of the fundamental aspects of remittances is evident in current literature.
With some countries narrowing their legal immigration channels, raising the bar for asylum, and increasing security measures at airports and land borders, migrants took unprecedented – and deadly – risks that captured headlines in 2005.
A source for Europe's labor needs since the 1960s, Moroccan migrants and their remittances are central to the economy back home. But as Hein de Haas of Radboud University Nijmegen explains, Morocco is also becoming a transit and immigration country for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Lors de la deuxième moitié du 20me siècle, le Maroc s'est transformé en l'un des principaux pays d'émigration du monde. Les marocains constituent une communauté de migrants parmi les plus larges et plus dispersées en Europe de l'ouest.
Israel is home to Jews and Jewish immigrants as well as Israeli Arabs, Palestinian refugees, and others. But the arrival of foreign workers in the 1990s has further complicated the country's migration issues, as Martha Kruger reports.
An ILO study of Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates highlights the special risks of domestic work for women. Gloria Moreno-Fontes Chammartin discusses the findings and implications.
MPI's Divya Pakkiasamy describes how "Saudiization" efforts are intended to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on foreign labor.
Hania Zlotnik of the UN Population Division focuses on the challenges of analyzing data on migration in Africa.
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