There has been a slight increase in migration flow in 2018 into the OECD countries compared to 2017, claimed a new OECD report, and noted an increase in family and labor migration with a sharp decline in number of asylum applications in the same time.

The report stated just a 2 per cent increase in migrations in 2018 year on year.

In 2018, there was 35 per cent decrease in asylum applications, at 1.09 million, compared o the record numbers noted in both 2015 and 2016, said the OECD International Migration Outlook 2019 report. The highest number of applications for asylum were from Afghanistan, followed by Syria, Iraq and Venezuela, the report noted. There was also a drop in the number of registered refugees into the OECD countries by 28 per cent because of the decline in asylum applications.

The report also noted that positive trend of prospects of employment for the migrants have increased in the last five years and continued in 2018. While the average employment rate of migrants across OECD countries is 68 per cent while the rate of unemployment rate fell by 9 per cent. However, those migrants who are young and are low-educated are still finding it hard to find jobs.

There has been a significant increase in temporary labour migration in 2017 which touched 4.9 million compared to the number of 4.4 million in 2016. This marked the highest numbers since records are being kept by the OECD since more than a decade ago. The top temporary labor migration destination was identified to be Poland which even surpassed the United States.

The largest single group for temporary workers was the workers “posted” by their employers to work in other European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) area member states, which amounted to about 2.7 million postings, the report noted.

“The significant increase in temporary labor migration is a sign of the dynamism in OECD labor markets but also of their integration,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, launching the report in Paris. “Temporary migrants bring skills and competences that are needed by employers.”

In order to enhance the processes of selection and needed skills, the OECD countries continue to adjust their labor migration programs, the report also found.

There was an increase of 9 per cent in family migration which identifies those people who migrate with or migrate to join, family members. There was also an increase of 6 per cent in the number of labor migrates in 2018.

Across the countries of OECD, there was a significant rise in the enrollment in the number of international students in tertiary education in 2018 which an increase of 7 per cent at more than 3.5 million. There was however a decrease in student flows to the United States, which has been a leading destination for the same, which has shrunk the OPECD market share.

40 per cent of the total migration inflow was accounted for by family migrants which is the highest among all categories of migrants. This is a very broad category however, and includes those residents of OECD countries who bring in their spouses from foreign countries as well as immigrants coming with their families or sponsoring their reunification.

(Adapted from OECD.org)

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