International migration is a dynamic and fast-growing phenomenon. It is increasing not only in scale and speed, but is characterised by wide diversities in terms of people and countries involved (Global Commission on International Migration 2005: 42). The volume of migrants has increased dramatically and is expected to continue to rise in the future. According to the report by the Global Commission on International Migration (2005: 83), the number of international migrants has increased from 82 million in 1970 to nearly 200 million in 2005 — or more than double in a span of 35 years. Of all international migrants, almost half were women and migrant populations represented 3 per cent of the total world population, which is equivalent to the population of Brazil, the fifth-largest country in the world. Another emerging migratory trend due largely to the globalising process is that some traditional emigrant countries have become countries of immigrants (for example, Ireland), and, similarly, many immigrant countries now have large emigrant flows, e.g., Australia, New Zealand and the UK (International Organisation of Migration 2005).

The Global Commission on International Migration’s report (2005: 83) said that the immigrants’ share of the total population was highest in Australia (Oceania; 18.7 per cent) followed by North America (12.9 per cent), Western Europe (7.7 per cent), Africa (2 per cent), Asia (1.4 per cent) and Latin America (1.1 per cent). The report also said that major global markets for migrants were the USA (20 per cent) followed by the Russian Federation (13.3 per cent), Germany (7. 3 per cent), Ukraine (4 per cent) and India (3.6 per cent).