On International Migrants Day, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes the Atlas of Migration 2024, which delves into the complex factors and conditions that shape migratory movements.
The thematic chapter of Atlas of Migration 2024 provides a systematic approach to understanding these factors - known as drivers - which influence the circumstances and choices that individuals encounter when considering relocation.
This work contributes to the advancement of early warning systems and migration forecasting methodologies, supporting European migration policy through a comprehensive understanding of migration drivers. Policies that aim to address migratory questions should account for the nuanced and multi-layered realities of migration dynamics.
Eight dimensions influencing migration
The Atlas groups migration drivers into eight dimensions: demographic, economic, environmental, socio-cultural, political, security, human development and supranational.
It shows that the various drivers belonging to these dimensions often influence migration as both push and pull factors, on both supply and demand side.
For example, economic factors such as wage disparities, unemployment and economic instability may push people to leave their country, while the availability of financial resources and the promise of a job in a destination country may facilitate that move.
A new Technical Report on the drivers of migration, on which the thematic chapter of the Atlas is based, catalogues a library of 130 indicators across the eight dimensions. These indicators can be used to monitor changes that could influence migratory movements.
Multiple interrelated factors drive migration
The research emphasises that in most cases, migration is driven by a complex interplay of multiple factors.
Whether stemming from economic hardship, security concerns, environmental pressures or aspirations for a better life, migration motivations are rarely singular or straightforward, and often defy simple cause-and-effect explanations.
Instead, a wide range of interrelated drivers linked to the circumstances in the origin country, opportunities in the potential destination country as well as personal ambitions shape the migration potential of individuals and groups.
These complexities give rise to non-linear effects, where the same driver may push some individuals to migrate while constraining others, depending on their unique circumstances. Furthermore, refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants and other types of migrants who are part of the same migratory movement and use the same routes, often have diverse motivations to migrate.
Data play a key role in understanding migratory movements
Due to a lack of representative data on migration drivers, the Atlas of Migration 2024 uses residence permit data to understand why people move to EU countries. These permits are issued for various reasons such as work, family reunification, education and humanitarian reasons, and thus they provide an indication of the motivations to migrate.
For instance, the types of permits issued in Germany, France, Spain and Italy in 2023 varied greatly, reflecting different migration policies and drivers, as per figure 1.
By way of example, Germany have a high proportion of permits for refugees and asylum seekers (46.1%), while Italy has more employment-based permits (42.4%).
The Atlas highlights the role of data in transcending simplistic stereotypes and myths about migration and in providing a more nuanced, evidence-based understanding of the proportions and dynamics of various migratory movements.
Background
The Atlas of Migration is an interactive online tool providing key migration facts and figures to support evidence-based policymaking. It features the latest data on migration in 27 EU Member States and 171 non-EU countries, consolidated from official international sources like Eurostat.
The tool offers country-specific profiles, regional overviews and interactive visualisations, covering topics such as migration numbers, reasons for migration, asylum applications, remittances and migrant integration. A printed version is also available, while the online tool provides continuously updated data.
Related links
Atlas of Migration 2024
Details
- Publication date
- 18 December 2024
- Author
- Joint Research Centre
- JRC portfolios
