"
Global migration is a large and irrepressible phenomenon of modern times. Virtually every country in the world is one of migration, sending and receiving migrants whether or not they have immigration programs that manage these flows. According to recent estimates, approximately 175 million people in the world are living outside their home countries on a permanent or temporary basis, and represent roughly 3% of the world's population. A number of factors have influenced migration in recent decades: population growth; market globalization; advances in communication technology; ease of transportation; political, economic and social conditions; and natural disasters."
(Treasury Board of Canada,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada, visited 2010-02-24)