What Is an Economic Migrant?

There are many different terms that are used to describe people who move from one place to another. Some of the most common ones that people are familiar with include refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. Lesser known ones are internally displaced persons and climate refugees. 

Many people may think that all of these terms are just different ways of saying the same thing, but that is not true. The terminology that is used to describe these different groups of people is important because it identifies what is causing them to be in those situations. Many of these groups are forced to leave their homes, while others choose to leave for a specific reason. One such group is economic migrants. So, who are economic migrants and why do they migrate?

What’s the Difference Between Economic Migrants and Refugees?

While many individuals may lump them under the category of “refugee,” economic migrants are different from refugees for a few key reasons. One of the main reasons is that economic migrants choose to leave their homes in search of a better life with greater economic opportunities elsewhere. This is different from refugees, who seek asylum in other countries because of fear of persecution based on politics, race, religion, conflict, and more.

So, economic migrants are not necessarily facing immediate danger or persecution like refugees are, but the ability to work and earn a living may be improved by moving to a different place. However, the stakes for economic migrants are often still incredibly high. This is because the inability to find work or financial stability in a certain place could produce issues ranging from starvation to being homeless or forced to accept dangerous, affordable living conditions. Economic migrants may also lose their opportunities to make a living if they remain in their current situation, so they decide to move in search of other prospects.

As of 2020, there are an estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide—about 3.6% of the global population. While it’s possible to quantify how many people migrate between countries, it’s not always possible to know why exactly they do so. Because migrants can move between locations for a number of reasons, it makes it impossible to know exactly how many economic migrants there are in the world. 

However, when individuals do choose to migrate to a new area and they are not seeking asylum, it is likely that one of the most common reasons is that they are looking for economic opportunities to achieve a better life. Their migration also leads to economic growth in the areas they are moving to.

The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) advocates for the rights of all uprooted people, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and all migrants. ICMC and its members remain committed to supporting immigration policies that produce more sustainable solutions.

ICMC’s efforts include protecting internally displaced children in Burkina Faso, providing assistance to Afghan refugees with our partner agencies, providing support to survivors of gender-based violence in Malaysia, aiding Ukrainian refugees, and more.

We rely on donations to fund our critical humanitarian work and continue changing lives. Find out how you can make a difference and help migrants, internally displaced persons, and refugees in need today!

About the International Catholic Migration Commission

The International Catholic Migration Commission is a nonprofit organization that protects, serves, and advocates for displaced people throughout the world. We help refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of human trafficking, and migrants of all faiths, races, and ethnicities forge lives in safety and dignity.

With support from people like you, ICMC delivers humanitarian aid and social development, protects vulnerable migrants, contributes to refugee resettlement efforts, advocates before governments, and partners with civic leaders. We seek a sustainable solution to dangerous migration and refugee crises.

Find out more by visiting our website.