International Migration Outlook 2023 highlights developments in policy responses to climate change displacements
Representative photo from iStock India saw the highest migration flows to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2021 and 2022, according to the ‘International Migration Outlook 2023’ released on the evening of October 23.
India replaced China as the main country of origin of new migrants to OECD countries in 2020. In 2021, for the second consecutive year, India, with 0.41 million new migrants, was the top country of origin. According to partial data, it was at the top in 2022 as well, said the report.
China, with 0.23 million new migrants, was at a distant second, followed by Romania with around 200,000 new migrants.
OECD is an association of 38 member countries, most being rich developed nations that attract migrant workers and students. India has been the main origin country of new citizens in OECD countries since 2019. This was despite a recent drop of 15 per cent, compared to 2019.
The report pointed out that policy responses to displacement directly and indirectly impacted by climate change have been gaining interest from policy makers and the international community in recent years.
“Few OECD countries have introduced explicit policies to respond to climate-induced displacement,” it said.
For instance, in April 2023, Colombia’s Congress began discussing a bill to recognise climate-induced displacement, the first of its kind in Latin America. Adopting a broad definition of climate-displaced people, it sought to prioritise access to housing, health services and education and to establish a national register of climate-displaced people. The bill has received approval in the first of four rounds of discussion required to pass.
Meanwhile in terms of nationalities, 0.13 million Indian citizens acquired the nationality of an OECD country in 2021.
As in previous years, these acquisitions took place mostly in the United States (56,000), Australia (24,000) and Canada (21,000). Mexico again ranked second in 2021, with 0.19 million Mexicans granted nationality of another OECD country, virtually all of them becoming US citizens.
Inflows of refugees from Ukraine reached the highest level on record, OECD-wide, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war; more than 10 million people have become either internally displaced or refugees in the OECD region.
In terms of workers, migration flows from India (+172 per cent), Uzbekistan (+122 per cent) and Turkey (+240 per cent) rose sharply, making them primary countries of origin after Ukraine.
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