The report states that this was affected by factors such as a weak labor market and tightening visa regulations in Australia and the UK.
What you should know
The number of people traveling for work in rich countries has decreased by 21 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
The latest research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of 38 rich and emerging economies, has revealed this fact.
A record 6.5 million people came to OECD countries in 2023. The number of migrants to one-third of OECD countries, including the UK, Canada, France and Japan, set a new record. But immigration declined in 2024.
The report states that this was due to factors such as a weak labor market and tightening visa rules in Australia and the UK.
The number of permanent workers in OECD member countries fell by 21 percent to around 934,000 in 2024, the report states.
Jean-Christophe Dumont, who heads the OECD's International Migration Department, said that this situation was due to poor economic conditions.
Since Donald Trump became president in the US, immigration has been tightened, and various studies have shown that this can affect the country's economic growth.
Canada, Australia and the UK used to bring in large numbers of migrant workers in the past. But now the visa rules of these countries have been tightened.
Similarly, as the increasing number of Ukrainian refugees are working in various countries in Europe, the need to bring people from elsewhere on work visas has also decreased.
'A large number of Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Europe. This is meeting the shortage of workers in various sectors. Due to this, the demand for foreign workers has decreased,' Dumont said.
What is the overall immigration situation?
According to the OECD, the number of new international students coming to OECD countries between 2023 and 2024 has also decreased. The report states that this number has decreased by 13 percent in a year.
The number of migrants for humanitarian reasons has increased. The number of asylum applications rose sharply last year in the final months of Joe Biden's term. Similarly, the number of illegal immigrants arriving in the UK by boat from other EU countries has also increased.
Although the number of arrivals on worker and student visas has fallen, the number of people seeking asylum on humanitarian grounds has not seen a significant difference in total immigration. Compared to 2023, total immigration has fallen by only 4 percent in 2024.
The report states that immigration is also creating new job opportunities.
