Conflict and climate change remain the most significant factors driving global displacement, the chief of the UN migration agency said in Dhaka on Tuesday (May 7), at an event launching the World Migration Report 2024.

The report, showing a record number of displaced people and a major increase in international remittances, was launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Bangladeshi capital where its director general Amy Pope said she had visited the masses of Rohingya refugees Cox’s Bazar fleeing the conflict in Myanmar.

“Migration pathways that are available for people from less developed countries have narrowed in recent years, arguably driving more people to resort to irregular migration pathways,” Pope added, as she urged what she called “strategic” migration and a “whole of society” approach.

The report also underscored the significance of international migration for economic growth with international remittances having surged over 650%, climbing from $128 billion in 2000 to $831 billion in 2022. The report added that this growth continued past COVID-19 despite initial predictions of a decrease.

(Reuters)