We Should Welcome the Dawn of the Migration Age

Globalization, like other phenomena, occurs in stages, explains Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations. In the first stage, the flow of capital and goods increased, and, for the most part, developed countries benefited. That stage prompted the age of mobility, with people crossing borders in search a better life and opportunities. Mobility has benefits – for example, remittances, which spur economies and fund health care, education and activism. Governments that don’t recognize the benefits of mobility encourage illegal migration and discrimination. The UN, noting that migration can be a force of good in advancing development, has established a Global Forum on Migration and Development to show how countries can capitalize on the process. Dual-citizenship laws, for example, allow migrants to return knowledge and skill to their native countries. Proper management of migration, according to Ban, could lead to a third stage of globalization, with more of the population sharing the world’s prosperity. – YaleGlobal