Migration Creating prospects for people seeking protection and opportunities

Worldwide there are more than 281 million international migrants. These are people who live in a country other than the country in which they were born. According to United Nations data, they make up 3.6 per cent of the world’s population.

Migration can either be regular, which means that it conforms to international legal stipulations or to the legislative regulations of the country of origin or destination or of the transit country; or it can be irregular, taking place outside such legislative frameworks.

In line with the aims of the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration (GCM), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) works to shape regular migration so that it benefits development, and it strives to present alternatives to irregular migration.

It is important to ensure that migration offers benefits for all involved: host countries, countries of origin and the migrants themselves. In Germany, the Ministry works closely with policymakers from other areas such as foreign, domestic, labour market and education policy.

Through German development cooperation activities on the ground, partner countries are assisted in making better use of the opportunities offered by migration. Many migrants living in Germany are involved in volunteer activities in their countries of origin and in host countries. Through this work they pass on knowledge and skills that they have acquired in Germany. The BMZ supports this civil society engagement as a way of promoting social and economic development in its partner countries.