Europe and Central Asia

Europe

Nearly 87 million international migrants lived in Europe in 2020, an increase of nearly 16 per cent since 2015, when around 75 million international migrants resided in the region. A little over half of these (44 million) were born in Europe, but were living elsewhere in the region; this number has increased since 2015, rising from 38 million. In 2020, the population of non-European migrants in Europe reached over 40 million.

Central Asia

Nearly 5 million migrants from Central Asia were living in the Russian Federation by end of 2020. Most of these, over 2.5 million, were born in Kazakhstan. Migrants born in Uzbekistan comprised the second largest group (over 1 million). Around 40 per cent of the Russian Federation’s international migrants in 2020 were from Central Asia. A significant number of these are migrant workers, who leave their countries due to high levels of unemployment and in search of better remuneration and working conditions in the Russian Federation. Kazakhstan, with its growing economy driven by natural resources such as oil, has also become a destination for migrants from the subregion.

Regional Offices

European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO

IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO
Rue Montoyer 40, 1000 Brussels
Belgium

Tel: +32 (0)2 287 7000
Email: ROBrussels@iom.int
Website

South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

IOM Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Dampfschiffstrasse 4 / 10-11
1030 Vienna
Austria

Tel: +43 1 581 22 22
Email: ROVienna@iom.int
Website