Migration Matters #43

UK's Asylum Proposal for Rwanda, Israeli Strikes in Rafah, World Migration Report 2024, Voting Challenges of Indian Migrants, Assam's 'Doubtful Voters', Global Report on Internal Displacement, & More!

Jun 10, 2024

Dear Reader,

We are excited to bring you yet another exciting edition of Migration Matters. Expect nothing but the most relevant and insightful trends from the world of migration - the stories that matter, the events that made headlines and exciting resources you can check out. As always, don’t forget to check out our Good Finds section for some hidden gems!

If you like this curated migration roundup, please share it with your family and friends! You can also Tweet to us at @NowMigration

Must Read

UK's Asylum Proposal for Rwanda Encounters Legal Challenges and Cost Disputes Before Election

The UK's controversial scheme to send refugees to Rwanda encounters legal obstacles and will not commence before the July 4 election. Post the Parliament’s approval, the Supreme Court has deemed it illegal, referencing Rwanda's human rights history. The plan, with a price tag exceeding £370m, is designed to prevent Channel crossings, but has generated strong resistance and issues with Ireland regarding asylum seekers crossing into the country.

World Migration Report 2024 Unveils Surge in Remittances and Displacement Numbers

The International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) latest report shows a significant increase in global remittances, soaring by more than 650% between 2000 and 2022, exceeding foreign direct investment in driving the GDP growth of developing countries. In addition to the economic boost, it highlights a stark reality: the global number of displaced people is at an all-time high of 117 million, underscoring the pressing need for thorough reactions to deal with displacement emergencies.

The report highlights India’s monumental milestone in remittances, surpassing $111 billion in 2022 and solidifying its position as the world's leading recipient. This achievement underscores the pivotal role of the Indian diaspora worldwide, with significant communities in key regions like the UAE, the US, and Saudi Arabia driving these flows. Notably, the US and Saudi Arabia stand out as top contributors to India's remittance influx, highlighting the robust global network of Indian migrants. This milestone also reflects broader global dynamics, with Mexico closely following as another major recipient, while China's remittance status shifted due to demographic shifts and policy changes.

To learn more about India’s Remittance Revolution, the latest trends and how it drives the country’s development, check out this insightful high-impact report by India Migration Now and FIMCA here.

Israeli Strikes in Rafah

Israel carried out air strikes on May 26 targeting a refugee camp in Rafah, where displaced Palestinian civilians were sheltering. The attacks in Rafah have killed at least 45 people, 21 at the displacement camp, and injured 250 people and resulted in the further displacement of a reported 1 million people who have now been forced to flee the city. Rafah was not only considered the last refuge for Palestinians in Gaza following the IDF’s group operations in the northern regions of the territory but it also served as one of the last operational borders and sheltered about half of the total displaced population.

India

India's Migrant Workers Face Challenges Casting Ballots
Including migrant workers in the electoral process is crucial. They are significant contributors to India's economy, sending remittances home and building essential infrastructure. Yet millions of Indian migrant workers face difficulty when trying to vote in elections. Due to systemic exclusions and economic constraints, many migrants are unable to participate in the democratic process. A 2021 ILO report illustrates just how wide-ranging the types of exclusions faced by migrant workers can be, depending on their specific circumstances and vulnerabilities. This exclusion weakens their voice and marginalizes them further.

According to the Election Commission of India data, in every election since 1951, at least one-third of the Indian electorate has not voted. This gap is equivalent to as much as twice the population of Russia. There are miscellaneous considerations due to which the missing third may have not voted, but migration remains a key reason.

Potential solutions to remedy the situation would be to include remote voting options and allow migrants to choose between voting in their home state or current state of residence. The fact that migrant workers are often not wholly integrated into their places of destination reaffirms the need to capture migrant votes in their origin states, should they so desire. Enabling them to vote would strengthen democracy and ensure their voices are heard.
Assam's 'Doubtful Voters' Struggle Amid Citizenship Limbo and Unfulfilled Promises
This contentious situation, specific to ‘foreigners’ in Assam, has left more than 97,000 individuals in a state of uncertainty regarding their citizenship, prohibiting them from voting and receiving welfare benefits. Even though Prime Minister Modi pledged in 2014 to address the matter and the BJP introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act, criticized for its exclusivity and logistical challenges, individuals are still ensnared in a bureaucratic ordeal. The migrants feel even more hopeless due to the state's intricate migration history and the disorganized verification process, as they hope for a solution that always feels unattainable.
Australia's Visa Overhaul: Navigating New Paths for Indian Students
Australia's upcoming changes to the Temporary Graduate Visa Programme, effective July 1, 2024, are designed to simplify procedures and offer clear guidance to global graduates. This involves updated length of stay requirements depending on the type of degree, reintroduction of the TOEFL Ibt test, a maximum age limit of 35 for candidates, and additional criteria for post-graduate and post-secondary education employment pathways. The modifications in the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement target Indian nationals, focusing on financial readiness, fluency in English, and authentic student goals, influencing Indian students' educational and career aspirations in Australia. In 2023, about 450,000 students were enrolled in Australia's higher education sector, with 17% being Indian students. Projections suggest that 170,000 Indian students will choose Australia by 2025, spending over $10 billion during their studies.

Global

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) published the 2024 edition of the Global Report on Internal Displacement this month, revealing that the number of internally displaced people has gone up yet again this year to reach a record high of 75.9 million people at the end of 2023. The report underscores the urgent need for disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, and improved data collection to address and prevent future displacements. Conflict and violence, especially in Sudan, DRC and Palestine, are considered a major contributing factor to this increase, accounting for 20.5 million new displacements, bringing the total up to 68.3 million people. Disasters were found to have triggered 26.4 million displacements, specifically from severe weather events and earthquakes in China, Türkiye, and the Philippines.

On May 14, 2024, the EU Council adopted a landmark reform of the European asylum and migration system despite opposition from member states like Poland and Hungary. The reform, called the Pact on Migration and Asylum comprises 10 legislative acts that will, by 2026, reform the current European framework for asylum and migration management, replacing the existing Dublin Regulations. The pact has been justified as a measure to allow states to manage arrivals more efficiently, streamline asylum procedures, and ensure fair sharing of responsibility among member states. Its key features include a mandatory border procedure for certain asylum seekers, enhanced data collection via the Eurodac database, and a solidarity mechanism for member states to share responsibilities. Critics have argued that the pact’s focus on border management and external partnerships over the expansion of safe pathways and reception facilities fails to address the root causes of (irregular) migration and could erode human rights protections.

To address the high number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Biden administration plans to send Latin American migrants to Greece and Italy, along with current options in Canada and Spain. This decision highlights wider initiatives to reduce illegal border crossings and at the same time increase legal options for resettling refugees.
Malaysia will halt the entry of workers from Bangladesh and 15 other countries. Last year, Malaysia was the second-largest job market for Bangladeshi workers, with over 400,000 migrants since its labour market reopened in 2022. Malaysian authorities are set to evaluate existing quotas and the results of a labour recalibration program ending June 30 before making new recruitment decisions. The government aims to limit foreign worker quotas to 15% of the total workforce by 2025.

Good Finds

A new podcast, Get it in 10, aims to introduce young students to several facets of human geography within 10 minutes, focusing specifically on migration and displacement. Episodes so far have discussed rhetorics of migration discourse, intra and inter-regional migration flows and remittances. Each week, prominent migration scholars and geographers critically consider the multifaceted nature of migration and its research. You can find the latest episode on housing inequality in the UK here.

Jay O’Hara’s podcast, ‘Asylum Speakers’ aims to take its listeners on a ‘journey across the world without [them] having to go anywhere’. It tells the stories of refugees from several voices - their own, activists, volunteers, and filmmakers. Some episodes detail specific routes, like the series titled ‘The Journey’ which follows routes from Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine to Northern Europe while others delve into regional conflicts and history lessons.

Thank you. We will see you again next month!

Best Wishes,
The IMN Team

Research and Drafting: Tannishtha and Mihika
Editorial Support: Pooja Bhatia

If you enjoyed this issue of Migration Matters, please share it with your friends and family. We welcome any feedback at communications@indiamigrationnow.org.