3.5B - International Migration
International migration has increased in global hub cities and regions, deepening interdependence between regions (elite migration (Russian oligarchs to London) and mass low-wage economic migration (India to UAE or the Philippines to Saudi Arabia))
Migrants are especially attracted to global hub cities, those with an unusually high density of transport, business, political and cultural connections to the world, like London, Dubai or New York.
Different types of migrants are attracted:
- HQs and offices of TNCs are often located in global hubs, so high-paid professional workers (lawyers, stock-market traders, bankers) are attracted to these places and this creates huge wealth.
- These global elite migrants often employ maids, drivers, nannies and gardeners.
- This attracts low skilled migrants such as Indian and Bangladeshi migrants moving to the United Arab Emirates or Filipinos migrating to Saudi Arabia.
- In 2015, 27% of the UAE's population was from India.
- Further low skilled, low wage migrants are used as construction workers for office and apartment blocks in global hubs.
Some cities, like London and New York, attract exceptionally wealthy migrants. An example is Russian oligarch billionaires (exceptionally wealthy business people) investing in property in London and living there some of the time. This happens partly so the oligarchs can easily send their children to the UK's elite private schools, and partly to move money out of Russia and invest it in London property.