Immigration is increasing within the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reaching record levels in 2023 for the second consecutive year, while many countries have undertaken to tighten their legislation to curb certain flows. . This is what emerges from the annual report “OECD International Migration Outlook”, released Thursday, November 14. When reading the latter, a paradox emerges in the face of the desire of countries to restrict their reception policies, and, at the same time, the need to respond to significant labor needs. The latter therefore find themselves looking for “a balance between restriction and attraction, in order to remain competitive destinations for foreign workers and international students”observe the authors.
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In 2023, more than 6.5 million new permanent immigrants arrived in OECD countries, i.e. 10% more than in 2022. A dynamic which can no longer be explained solely by the catch-up effect of the years pandemic, which put a stop to international mobility. “The increase is structural, underlines Jean-Christophe Dumont, head of the international migration division at the OECD. It is widely supported by the United States and the United Kingdom. » The two countries alone explain two-thirds of the 10% increase in flows between 2022 and 2023.
In the United Kingdom, the increase in arrivals (250,000 more than in 2022, + 52%) is linked in particular to skilled professional migration in the health and care sector from the Indian subcontinent, and when the families of these workers arrive. The United States remains the country of first destination, with 1.2 million additional immigrants, ahead of the United Kingdom (750,000), Germany (700,000), Canada and Spain. France comes in sixth place, with just under 300,000 new immigrants in 2023.
Labor migration is stalling
“On average, OECD countries welcomed ten new permanent immigrants per thousand inhabitants in 2023, compared to eight in 2019”specifies the report. Compared to the size of the populations of the destination countries, the ranking of the first host countries is not the same since, for example, France moves to 27e rank among OECD countries, and Luxembourg, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland take the lead in the group.
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