In recent years, global migration has transformed in terms of its numbers and reach, its political significance, and its impact. The rising rates of international migration have been matched by growing public and media interest around the world. Today, the political and media attention on migration and greater public interest and concern feed into an international debate that is all too often poorly informed and one-sided.

This Very Short Introduction looks at the phenomenon of international human migration - both legal and illegal - and offers an objective stance on the topic, and its benefits and challenges. Khalid Koser reveals the opportunities migration presents that must be taken advantage of in the current economic climate, and debunks common myths to demonstrate that society, as we now know it, cannot function without migrants. Using interviews with migrants from around the world, Koser presents the human side of issues such as asylum, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and the international labour force, inviting readers to come to their own conclusions on the international migration situation today.

Table of Contents:
1: Why migration matters
2: Who is a migrant?
3: Migration and globalization
4: Migration and development
5: Irregular migration
6: Refugees and asylum seekers
7: Migrants in society
8: The future of international migration
Further reading
Index

Author Information:
Dr Khalid Koser (MBE) is Executive Director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. He is a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, Research Associate at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and Professor in Conflict, Peace and Security at the University of Maastricht. He is also chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Migration, and editor of the Journal of Refugee Studies.