Clearing the air on immigration

Immigration has been the biggest issue during the biggest election year in history. But the debates that play out are often missing essential context and data.

As voters the world over go to the polls, migration is dominating the agenda. In the European Union election, migration was the second ranked key issue among voters, and is regarded as a driving force behind gains made by far-right and conservative parties.

In the United States, presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have attacked one another over their record on immigration.

It follows President Joe Biden taking the aggressive step of issuing an executive order aimed at curbing record migrant arrivals from Mexico, despite warnings that it will lead to deaths.

In Australia, the federal Opposition have laid out plans to slash immigration as a purported solution to the country’s housing affordability crisis. It is the latest arena in which migration has been used as a political football — having already been a flashpoint in national debates over community safety, universities and employment.

Across these diverse democracies, controversy around migration is the common thread, even when it’s weaponised in different ways.

But immigration in 2024 matters beyond how it affects some elections. Human trafficking remains an enormous issue, particularly in southeast Asia.

The IMF has called it a “hidden scourge” and cites some estimates valuing the industry at US$150 billion per year. It appears to be an industry that nations are at a loss over how to meaningfully disrupt.