There are over 200 million immigrants in the world (approximately 3% of the total world population).  In developed countries, this number is closer to 10% of the population.  Countries with the greatest numbers of immigrants (accounting for almost half of all immigrants) include the US, Russia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Spain, India, and Ukraine.  Seven percent of all immigrants are refugees.  The majority of migration occurs either within southern countries (34%), or from the South to the North (35%).  In an examination of 33 developed countries (Europe + Australia, Japan, Canada, and the US), Latvia, Slovakia, Cyprus, Malta, and Japan were the least favorable to the integration of immigrants.

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Approximately 13% of the US population is foreign-born, or about 1 in every 8 people.  Strict anti-immigration laws have been implemented for several US states (Arizona, Utah, Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, South Carolina) and have been proposed for several others.  Temporary H-2 worker programs in the US have been criticized for denying basic human rights to hundreds of thousands of workers.

 

United Nations – International Migration Report 2009: A Global Assessment

UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs – Migrants by Origin and Destination

Migration Integration Policy Index III

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Living in America: Challenges Facing New Immigrants & Refugees

Center for American Progress – Interactive Map: A Nation United or Divided?

Southern Poverty Law Center – Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States