Migration in the context of geopolitical turmoil
In 2025, the world grapples with profound political shifts, a strained humanitarian system, widening inequality, an accelerating climate crisis and technological transformation. This year's Mixed Migration Review (MMR) delves into migration amidst this intensified geopolitical turmoil, featuring insights from policymakers, UN leaders, academics, and activists to stimulate debate. The report highlights persistent and intensifying drivers of migration, from escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel, and Sudan, to instability in Myanmar, climate shocks in South Asia, and economic crises in Venezuela and Lebanon. "Keeping Track" sections offer regional overviews of shifting routes and risks, while "Voices on the Move" shares personal stories of five migrants, illustrating how geopolitical events shape their lives and offering suggestions for improving migration systems. As 2025 draws to a close, the outlook for global migration governance is bleak, with hardening policies and an alarming trend towards viewing migrants as threats rather than rights-bearing individuals, a trajectory that risks the inevitable erosion of their rights.
