Migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence to a new place of residence, either across an international border or within a State. There is no universally agreed definition of “migration” or “migrant”, but there are several widely accepted definitions that have been developed in different settings. For example, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs defines a long-term migrant as a person who lives outside their country of origin for at least 12 months.

International and internal migration

For demographic purposes, there are two types of migration: international and internal. International migration occurs when people cross State boundaries to live in another country for a minimum length of time. Internal migration is when people move within the same country. Rural-urban migration is when people move specifically from rural areas to urban locations within the same country.