The Americas

Children, Obama Delays Action
Immigration reform in summer 2014 took a back seat to debate over what to do about women and children arriving on the Mexico-US border from Central

DHS: Unauthorized, Interior
The number of border-area deaths fell in FY14 even as apprehensions of unauthorized foreigners rose. Some 284 border-area deaths were recorded in

Labor, H-1B
The unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September 2014, the lowest rate since summer 2008. However, the labor force participation rate dropped

Canada, Mexico
Canada's program to admit low-skilled temporary foreign workers was debated in summer 2014. The Employment Ministry in June 2014 announced that

Latin America
Central America has 45 million people in seven countries, ranging from 16 million in Guatemala to 400,000 in Belize. The big three, El Salvador,

Asia

China: Hukou
The number of internal rural-urban migrants in China, 270 million in 2013, exceeds the number of international migrants, 232 million. Only 170

Japan, Korea
There were 1,235 Indonesians working in Japanese hospitals and nursing homes in summer 2014, and the quota for new admissions will be raised to 348

Southeast Asia
The ADB and ILO released a report in August 2014 exploring the potential impacts of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) plans to lower barriers to the

South Asia, Middle East
Bangladesh. Some 409,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers went abroad in 2013, half the number who were deployed in 2008. In September 2014, Bangladesh

Europe

EU: Migration, Integration, Trade
Europe, with a tenth of the world's people, has a quarter of the world's countries and a third of the world's migrants. The share of migrants in

UK: Migrants
Migration was debated in summer 2014 with an eye to national elections expected in May 2015. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of non-British-born

France, Germany
France. Migrants in summer 2014 again gathered in the port city of Calais in order to slip aboard trucks bound for the UK, including 1,500 from

Southern Europe
Greece. Some 28 Bangladeshis picking strawberries were shot by guards in April 2013 when they protested unpaid wages in Manolada in the western

Sweden, Russia
Sweden. Some 54,000 foreigners applied for asylum in 2013, and 80,000 are expected to apply in 2014. Two-thirds of Swedes say they support the

Other

Australia, New Zealand
The Australian Liberal-National coalition government elected in 2014 has fulfilled one of its election pledges, reducing the arrival of boat people

Africa Rising?
Africa may be at the dawn of a new economic age, with growing exports fueling a new middle class. The so-called Africa Rising story is based on

Global: Refugees
There were 11.7 million refugees at the end of 2013 (excluding Palestinians), and another 33.3 million internally displaced persons. Afghanistan

Would More Migration raise Global GDP?
Would the world's GDP double or triple if border controls were lifted and migrants moved from lower-to-higher wage countries? Several studies have