Trends and Patterns of Global Refugee Migration

Bibliographic Data

ID4122151
AuthorsSonja Fransen (0000-0002-7709-4418, Maastricht University, corresponding author), Hein De Haas (0000-0001-7593-6207, Maastricht University)
Year2022
Volume48
Issue1
Pages97-128
Publication date2022-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePopulation and Development Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0098-7921 • E-ISSN: 1728-4457
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/padr.12456
PMID35874178
OpenAlexW3217049521
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited42

This paper studies long-term trends and patterns in global refugee migration. We explore the intensity, spread, and distance of refugee migration at a global, regional, and country level between 1951 and 2018. The analysis did not detect a long-term increase in the global intensity of refugee migration. Primarily depending on levels of conflict, refugee numbers have fluctuated at levels of between 0.1 and 0.3 percent of the world population. Apparent increases in numbers of the globally displaced are driven by the inclusion of populations and countries that were previously excluded from the data. While refugee populations continue to be concentrated in countries with low-to-medium income levels, the analysis reveals several geographic shifts in refugee migration. Refugees tend to come from a shrinking number of origin countries and move to an increasing variety of destination countries. This trend seems to reflect a concentration of recurrent conflict cycles in a relatively small number of countries and a parallel increase in the number of safe destinations. Although the vast majority of refugees remain near to origin countries, the average distance between origin and destination countries has increased over time, presumably linked to the greater ease of travel and migration-facilitating networks

Demographic economics · Destinations · Developing country · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Forced migration · Geography · Human migration · Immigration · Mass migration · Political science · Population · Refugee · Sociology · Tourism · Demography · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Health and Trauma · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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