Knowledge Centre on Migration and Demography

For this International Migrants’ Day, the Knowledge Centre on Migration and Demography launches a new edition of the Atlas of Migration, with the latest available migration data for 198 countries and territories worldwide. The Atlas of Migration is an interactive web-based tool, created to guide policymakers through the complexities of international migration.

On 1 January 2020, 23 million EU inhabitants were non-EU citizens. Migrants play a key role in European society but they often struggle to match EU citizens’ levels of employment, education and social inclusion. A JRC exploratory research project examined whether the EU Cohesion Policy, which from a thematic viewpoint is not focused on migrants, could contribute to the integration and inclusion of international migrants in the EU.

In an effort to understand to what extent climate change impacts human mobility, JRC scientists analysed past trends and future population projections through the lenses of different climate scenarios. A new study on climate change induced displacement published at COP26 calls for a joint effort in migration, climate adaptation and development policies to protect the affected communities as adverse impacts of environmental change continue to undermine their livelihoods.

One in four EU citizens reported feeling lonely most of the time during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic. This is more than double the levels of loneliness reported in a similar survey conducted in 2016. The report “Loneliness in the EU: Insights from surveys and online media data” explores how loneliness evolved during the pandemic as compared to previous years, for Europeans of all ages.

Nearly all children living in cities, towns and suburbs could reach a primary school by bicycle, and over 50% of the EU population could cycle – instead of using a car – to the local services.

On the occasion of the World Children’s Day on 20 November, the JRC published a new story on children in migration in the Atlas of Demography. The story reveals major trends and demographic characteristics of migrant children in Europe.

At a time of exponential growth of data worldwide, non-traditional sources such as mobile phones, satellite imagery and social media, and new analytical methods, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, can help improve the evidence base for migration policy and practice. On 29 November, the Big Data for Migration Alliance (BD4M), in partnership with the African Union, launched a call to action focused on investing and strengthening capacities in ethical and responsible data innovation for migration analysis and policy. A policy report authored by the JRC on Data Innovation in Demography, Migration and Human Mobility will be published in January 2022.