Global Scans · Migration · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Conflict, climate change, and economic necessity will continue to cause mass migrations to more stable countries and in turn cause concerns about integration, security and excess demand of national resources.from the accepting nation.

• [New] There will be opportunities for trade, repatriation of illegal migrants and the removal of a center for espionage against the U.S. FDD
• [New] The UN's Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, facing an Israeli ban on its activities set to take effect later this month, has said it will continue providing much-needed aid. The Defense Post
• [New] An Israeli ban on the UN's Palestinian refugee agency due to be implemented this month threatens to undermine efforts for peace in the Middle East. ABC News
• [New] Though Trump will pressure Mexico to step up enforcement, temporary measures such as breaking up caravans and busing migrants south fail to provide long-term solutions. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] Fico has pressured Ukraine to resume gas flows, threatening reciprocal measures such as cutting electricity exports, withdrawing humanitarian aid, and reducing support for Ukrainian refugees. Steptoe LLP
• [New] New research estimates that if advanced economies relied on migration alone to maintain support ratios at today's levels, in many cases as much as half of their populations would be foreign born by 2050, assuming each migrant brings one dependent. McKinsey & Company
• [New] Movements in the Global North are already fighting the border security and deportation regime, not just for the sake of the peoples of the Global South but also for their own sake, for as we have seen fanning fears about climate refugees is a core strategy of fascist movements in the Global North. CounterPunch.org
• [New] Blanket bans on new asylum applications from Syria ignore the complex realities on the ground and risk violating international obligations under the Refugee Convention. The New Humanitarian
• [New] The SPD warns against turning to the right on migration and asylum policy, saying Germany must remain a country that supports immigration. Deutsche Welle
• [New] In recent years, Venezuela's economy has experienced a prolonged crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and the exodus of more than 7 million migrants seeking better opportunities abroad. The Business Standard
• [New] Looking ahead to 2025, projections by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth indicate an even greater surge in millionaire migration worldwide, with 142,000 high-net-worth individuals with liquid investable wealth of USD 1 million or more expected to relocate and seek new horizons. TravelDailyNews International
• [New] State Department officials warned the Trump transition team of the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza once the Israeli ban on contact with the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) takes effect. Just Security
• [New] With the Trump administration focusing on restricting immigration and prioritizing national security concerns over humanitarian efforts, African migrants and refugees may face even greater challenges in the future, including more rigid border controls and less opportunity for asylum or resettlement. TUKO.co.ke
• [New] New Zealand has long been a destination for migrants seeking better opportunities. UMA Technology
• [New] In North America, particularly in the U.S., there is a struggle between immigration policies that might protect or exploit migrants, with the latter often prevailing due to political pressures around border security. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] For international migration, especially from Central America where climate change exacerbates conditions like drought in the Dry Corridor, the U.S. has oscillated between policies that could either protect or endanger migrants. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] In the United States, policies have fluctuated but often include measures like the Remain in Mexico policy, which forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico, potentially exposing them to further risks, including trafficking. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] For 2026-27, Treasury is forecasting net migration to fall to 224,100 - a net migration low not reached since former PM Tony Abbott drove up the unemployment rate to over 6% resulting in a massive exodus of Australian and New Zealand citizens. Independent Australia
• [New] A qualitative study in three refugee camps in South Sudan, Kenya, and Iraq found lower social cohesion post-displacement, leaving women unsupported, isolated and less likely to seek help or access resources and, as a result, potentially at higher risk of IPV. BioMed Central
• [New] When combining births, deaths, and net migration, the U.S. population is projected to increase by one person every 21.2 seconds. The Jerusalem Post
• [New] The package of actions amounts to a dramatic shift in immigration policy that will affect immigrants already residing in the United States and migrants seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border. CNN
• [New] International support, particularly from the United Nations and NGOs, is critical in providing financial and technical assistance for adaptation projects that could mitigate the worst effects of climate change and reduce migration. Georgetown Security Studies Review

Last updated: 22 January 2025