International Organization for Migration, World Migration Report 2015
This report focuses on the relationship between cities and migrants and how they each shape each other. People, experiences, organisations, structures and rules are dynamic, and what the report suggests is that human mobility and migration are excluded from the global debate of urbanisation in terms of development planning and implementation.
The mobility of individuals makes cities, and any place for that matter, a much more diverse and rich place to live. While the report suggests some risks associated with the huge flux of migrants to cities, it suggests that these individuals can play a huge role in building and reviving cities with their innovative ideas and resources, and highlights the benefits migration brings to city growth and development.
The report is interesting in light of the UK’s move to label international students as migrants. While many contributing to the discussion have quickly disapproved of this move, it is worth pointing out that both migrants (of all forms) and mobility are essential to the economic, social, cultural and knowledge economy of the UK.