The Next Waves: The Globalisation of International Migration

Abstract

The North-South gap — the differentials in life expectancy, demography, economic structure, social conditions and political stability between the industrial democracies and most of the rest of the world — looms as a major barrier to the creation of a peaceful and prosperous global society. International migration is a major consequence of the North-South gap. However, the world can no longer be simply divided up between rich and poor nations. Long before the end of the Cold War, new poles of financial, manufacturing and technological power had emerged in the oil-rich Arab states and in East Asia. Oil-producing areas outside the Arab region, such as Nigeria, Venezuela and Brunei, have also become important areas of immigration. A wide range of industries attract migrant workers: agriculture, construction, manufacturing, domestic services and more. Eastern Europe takes an intermediate position between the industrial and the less-developed countries. Economic and social dislocation, political unrest and technological backwardness create conditions conducive to emigration.