migration

Definition(s)

In the global context, movement of a person either across an international border (international migration), or within a state (internal migration) for more than one year irrespective of the causes, voluntary or involuntary, and the means, regular or irregular, used to migrate.
In the EU/EFTA context, the action by which a person either:
(i) establishes their usual residence in the territory of an EU Member State for a period that is, or is expected to be, of at least 12 months, having previously been usually resident in another EU Member State or a third country; or
(ii) having previously been usually resident in the territory of an EU Member State, ceases to have their usual residence in that EU Member State for a period that is, or is expected to be, of at least 12 months.

Source(s)

Global context : derived by EMN from UN Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration and IOM Glossary on Migration, 2019
EU Context : derived by EMN from UN Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration and OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms

Translations

BG: миграция
CS: migrace
DE: Migration
EL: μετανάστευση
EN: migration
ES: migración
ET: ränne
FI: muuttoliike / siirtolaisuus
FR: migration
GA: imirce
HR: migracije
HU: migráció
IT: migrazione
LT: migracija
LV: migrācija
MT: Migrazzjoni
NL: migratie
PL: migracja
PT: migração
RO: migraţie
SK: migrácia
SL: migracije
SV: migration
NO: migrasjon
KA: მიგრაცია
UK: міграція
HY: միգրացիա

Narrower Term(s)

Related Term(s)

Note(s)

1. At the international level, no universally accepted definition for migration exists.
2. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines migration as follows: 'movement of a person or a group of persons, either across an international border (international migration), or within a state (internal migration), encompassing any kind of movement of people, whatever its length, composition and causes'. This broad definition covers all forms of migration (voluntary/forced migration, internal/international migration, long-term/short-term migration), different motives for migration (migration because of political persecution, conflicts, economic problems, environmental degradation or a combination of these reasons or migration in search of better economic conditions or conditions of survival or well-being, or other motives such as family reunification) and irrespective of the means used to migrate (legal/irregular migration). Thus it includes migration of refugees, displaced persons, economic migrants and persons moving for other purposes, including family reunification.
3. Under the UN, the definition 'movements for shorter periods' would not be considered migration.