Global migratory flows are evolving in scale and complexity. In recent years, the ease of travel and communication, economic factors and new conflicts have contributed to rising numbers of migrants across the globe: 3.6% of the global population in 2020. While this proportion has remained fairly consistent over the years, the number of refugees has reached a record high. Last year saw the biggest increase in the number of people in need of international protection, driven by ongoing and new conflicts.

Expanding push factors are blurring the boundaries between forced displacement and voluntary migration and have seen the consolidation of a people-smuggling industry worth billions. As push factors overlap, a single term can no longer define individuals on the move. The plethora of evolving variables that shape migration pose several important and immediate questions about the risks and opportunities facing migrants, the regions and countries they move through, and the future of international protection.