Global Migration Faces Tighter Controls Amid Labour Demand

Most major destination countries are shifting from a policy of expanding migrant labor to one of selectivity and restriction in order to manage immigration within their borders, especially unauthorized immigration.

The delicate balance of international migration rests on strong global demand for labour alongside increasingly strict immigration controls. This balance is especially critical for international students and skilled migrant workers.

International students and skilled migrants play a vital role in economic growth and in addressing labour shortages in many destination countries. Yet they are facing growing barriers to entry and integration as governments tighten migration policies.

Most major destination countries are shifting from policies that expanded migrant labour to more selective and restrictive approaches aimed at managing immigration, particularly unauthorised migration. Political shifts to the right, national security concerns, public pressure, unlawful border crossings, visa overstays, and anxieties over social integration are key drivers of these changes.

An exception to this trend is Spain, which is granting legal status to around 500,000 undocumented migrants. The move seeks to reduce labour exploitation in the informal economy and meet an estimated annual demand for 300,000 migrant workers.

Stricter controls are also affecting asylum seekers and low-skilled migrants, while favouring highly skilled workers. International student migration has come under tighter scrutiny as well, with countries imposing stricter visa rules, fixed-term permits, limits on study duration, work restrictions, higher financial requirements, and tighter rules on bringing dependants. These measures are driven by high net migration, concerns over visa misuse, university capacity limits, housing shortages, and political pressure.

In 2024, there were an estimated 304 million international migrants worldwide—about 3.7 percent of the global population of 8.2 billion. This figure is nearly double that of 1990, when there were approximately 154 million migrants. The United States remains the largest destination, hosting 17 percent of all migrants, followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and France.

India is the world’s largest country of origin for migrants, accounting for 6 percent of global emigrants, followed by China, Mexico, Ukraine, and Russia.

As of 2024–25, around 7 million students were studying outside their home countries. The leading destinations were the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. Germany, Russia, South Korea, China, and Spain also hosted significant numbers.

Globally, there were about 168 million migrant workers in 2022, representing roughly 5 percent of the world’s labour force. In developed economies, migrant workers make up a much larger share. In the United States, immigrants account for about 20 percent of the labour force, while in Canada the figure is closer to 30 percent.

Migrant workers are present across all skill levels. Despite often having higher qualifications, many are concentrated in lower-skilled sectors such as services, agriculture, construction, and tourism. At the same time, high-skilled sectors—particularly information technology and professional services—depend heavily on skilled migrants to address labour shortages.

These migration dynamics intersect with major demographic shifts. Many developed countries are experiencing population decline, ageing, and increasing ethnic diversity. Fertility rates remain below replacement levels, while life expectancy continues to rise. By 2025, 55 countries had reached a point where people aged 65 and over outnumbered those aged 17 and under.

In contrast, many sending countries—particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—have young and rapidly growing populations. Africa’s population alone is projected to more than triple during the 21st century, rising from about 800 million to nearly 4 billion.

Approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide express a desire to emigrate permanently, far exceeding the number of migrants countries are willing to accept. This gap fuels unauthorised migration and intensifies political tensions in destination countries, where anti-immigrant sentiment and far-right movements are gaining influence.

Together, these opposing demographic and political forces are creating a fragile equilibrium between labour demand and migration control. This balance is especially consequential for international students and skilled migrants, whose mobility and integration increasingly depend on how destination countries navigate these challenges.

Joseph Chamie is an independent consulting demographer and former director of the United Nations Population Division.