Migration

This issue of the Forum focuses on smuggling of migrants. It contains articles by a range of researchers and academics with experience in the subject. Forum on Crime and Society presents policy-oriented articles on issues related to crime prevention and criminal justice, focusing on trends and practices in the field of criminal justice that are of special significance to the international community.

Forum sur le crime et la société est une publication des Nations Unies destinée à la vente qui paraît sous l’égide de l’Office des Nations Unies contre la drogue et le crime (ONUDC), dont le siège est à Vienne. La série propose, sur le thème de la justice pénale et de la prévention de la criminalité, des articles orientés vers l’action. Elle s’intéresse aux tendances et aux pratiques ayant trait à la justice pénale qui revêtent un intérêt particulier pour la communauté internationale.

Access to legal identity is essential for inclusion, rights and protection. Yet, millions of people, especially women and girls, face persistent barriers. Legal Identity, Gender and Migration: Understanding Barriers to Access, explores these challenges in global and local contexts. The report highlights how gaps in legislation, institutional obstacles, digital divides and entrenched social norms can exclude women and girls. Based on desk research and case studies from three countries, Tunisia, Morocco and Nigeria, the report reveals how legal, cultural and economic factors hinder access to civil registration and identity documents. The study emphasizes the necessity of gender-responsive reforms, targeted awareness campaigns and inclusive digitalization efforts.

This report, Climate Chains: Mapping the Relationship between Climate, Trafficking in Persons and Building Resilience in Ethiopia, explores the complex links between climate change, livelihood, vulnerability, migration and human trafficking in Ethiopia. Commissioned by IOM under the Climate Resilience Against Trafficking and Exploitation (CREATE) project, this study forms part of a broader research focusing on Ethiopia and the Philippines – two countries facing distinct climate challenges: slow-onset droughts and sudden-onset typhoons, respectively. The research used a mixed-methods approach including household surveys, interviews and focus group discussions. The report puts forward a conceptual model that links climate events and trafficking through a series of intertwined steps. It identifies a causal chain where climate events disrupt livelihood, increase vulnerability and heighten migration intentions, which can lead to exploitation and trafficking. The research explores how factors linking climate and trafficking operate in Ethiopia. This study provides critical insights and recommendations for policymakers, donors and organizations in Ethiopia and internationally that are working to combat human trafficking and exploitation, while strengthening resilience to climate change.

This study examines the links between climate change and migration, showing how environmental stressors drive human mobility. Produced by Cairo University’s Migration Research Unit in partnership with IOM, the study draws on case studies from Bangladesh, Mexico and Morocco, with special emphasis on Egypt as a highly vulnerable lower-middle-income country. It situates climate-induced migration within broader social, economic and political contexts, analysing both rapid- and slow-onset events and their differentiated impacts on vulnerable populations. Offering fresh insights and lessons, this report speaks to policymakers, researchers and practitioners confronting one of today’s most pressing global challenges.

This report examines the health impacts of climate change on internal migrant workers in Hanoi’s industrial zones. Through desk review and interviews with 15 migrant workers, the study reveals that most workers perceive climate change through immediate weather changes and air pollution, with limited understanding of broader systemic causes. Respiratory illnesses and heat-related conditions are the most common health issues, especially among older workers and children. Adaptation strategies are largely individual – wearing masks, limiting outdoor activities, and maintaining hygiene – while formal support from employers or Government is lacking. Economic constraints and limited access to health care and health information further hinder effective adaptation. The report calls for urgent investment in occupational safety and health and climate risk mitigation. Recommendations include expanding health insurance, integrating climate adaptation into workplace practices and raising awareness through community events and educational materials. Addressing these gaps is vital to protect the health and productivity of migrant workers in the face of escalating climate risks.

The Trafficking in Persons Data in the Economic Community of West African States Region: Standardizing and Leveraging Administrative Data for Evidence provides a comprehensive analysis of trafficking trends and patterns across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. Developed in collaboration with the African Union, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), ECOWAS and IOM, this report marks a significant step towards standardizing trafficking in persons (TIP) administrative data to enhance regional and national responses to trafficking. The report highlights key findings, including the predominance of child victims, gendered patterns of exploitation and the diversification of trafficking types, such as forced labour, sexual exploitation and other emerging forms. It also examines the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anti-trafficking efforts, including delays in case processing and challenges in victim identification. Through the use of the West Africa TIP questionnaire, aligned with the International Classification for Administrative Data on Trafficking in Persons, the report offers actionable insights and recommendations to improve data collection, reporting and coordination across ECOWAS member States. These efforts aim to strengthen evidence-based policymaking, enhance victim protection and ensure a more effective regional response to TIP. This report is an essential resource for policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders working to combat human trafficking in West Africa, providing a foundation for future data-driven interventions and regional cooperation.

This issue of the Forum focuses on smuggling of migrants. It contains articles by a range of researchers and academics with experience in the subject. Forum on Crime and Society presents policy-oriented articles on issues related to crime prevention and criminal justice, focusing on trends and practices in the field of criminal justice that are of special significance to the international community.

En esta edición 2024 del Observatorio Demográfico se presentan los principales indicadores demográficos de América Latina y el Caribe según la revisión de 2024 de las estimaciones y proyecciones de población de las Naciones Unidas y en comparación con la revisión de 2000, con el objetivo de destacar los principales cambios demográficos ocurridos en la región desde principios del siglo XXI. El análisis de las dos revisiones muestra que la natalidad y la mortalidad disminuyeron más rápidamente de lo proyectado en 2000, salvo durante la pandemia, cuando la segunda aumentó marcadamente, y que el saldo migratorio fue más negativo de lo que se esperaba. El cambio en la estructura por edades de la población, resultado de la acelerada transición demográfica, así como la persistente caída de la fecundidad a niveles por debajo de la tasa de reemplazo, suman desafíos a los ya existentes en la región, dados sus altos niveles de desigualdad socioeconómica y de acceso a bienes y servicios del Estado. El envejecimiento repercute en todos los ámbitos de la política pública y, muy en particular, lleva a un aumento de la demanda de servicios de cuidados de largo plazo. Sin duda, la demografía del presente y el futuro es clave para construir sociedades más productivas, inclusivas y sostenibles en América Latina y el Caribe.

This 2024 edition of the Demographic Observatory presents the main demographic indicators for Latin America and the Caribbean according to the 2024 revision of the United Nations population estimates and projections and in comparison with the 2000 revision, with the objective of highlighting the main demographic changes that have occurred in the region since the beginning of the 21st century. Analysis of the two revisions shows that birth and death rates declined more rapidly than projected in 2000, except during the pandemic when the latter increased sharply, and that the migration balance was more negative than expected. The change in the age structure of the population resulting from the accelerated demographic transition, as well as the persistent fall in fertility to below replacement rate levels, add to the challenges already existing in the region, given its high levels of socio-economic inequality and access to government goods and services. Ageing has implications for all areas of public policy and, most notably, leads to increased demand for long-term care services. Undoubtedly, the demographics of the present and the future are key to building more productive, inclusive and sustainable societies in Latin America and the Caribbean.