Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh maintains its position as the sixth-largest source country for international migrants and stands as the eighth-largest recipient of remittances globally.
This information was revealed by the latest World Migration Report 2024, launched on Tuesday in Dhaka.
India leads the list of countries of origin for international migrants, followed by Mexico, Russia, China, and Syria. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) unveiled its flagship migration report for the first time in Bangladesh at a city hotel.
At the event, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and IOM Director General Amy Pope were among the dignitaries present.
The report highlighted Bangladesh’s significant remittance inflows, amounting to $21.50 billion in 2022, securing the country’s place in the top ten remittance-receiving nations.
The country’s remittance inflow remained robust at $21.50 billion in 2022, maintaining a similar position compared to the figures from 2020, as reported by the World Migration Report 2024.
The report further highlighted significant remittance flows worldwide, with India leading at $111.22 billion, followed by Mexico, China, the Philippines, France, Pakistan, and Egypt among the top beneficiaries.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, international migration continues to drive human development and economic growth. The report underscores a remarkable 650 percent increase in international remittances from 2000 to 2022, surging from $128 billion to $831 billion globally.
Of the total remittances, $647 billion were directed towards low- and middle-income countries, playing a pivotal role in their GDPs. Remarkably, remittances now surpass foreign direct investment in these nations, signalling the growing significance of migrant contributions to global economies.
Key revelations from the report include that the global count of international migrants has reached approximately 281 million individuals.
Furthermore, the number of displaced persons due to conflicts, violence, disasters, and other causes has soared to a record high of 117 million.
Addressing these pressing issues, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment as a champion country of the ‘Global Compact for Migration’.
He said, “Bangladesh will not only honour its domestic pledges but will also actively engage in addressing emerging challenges and issues related to migration and development on the international stage.”