Immigration “Pull” Factors in OECD Countries over the Long Term

Immigration into the more developed countries of the OECD has been on the upswing for the last decade and more. Their economic opportunities are a strong attractor for migrants while the projected demographic aging of the more developed members has heightened interest in the possible future role of migration. In anticipation, many countries have instituted policies that are more welcoming to immigrants. While there is reason to suspect that policies do not always work exactly as intended, there is every reason to expect that the OECD countries will continue to exert a substantial pull on international migrants. And policymakers are likely to attempt to attune admission policies with the evolving pull factors.