INTRODUCTIONIn general terms, international migration represents any cross-border movement of people from one country to another due to personal, economic and/or political reasons. Personal motivations for migration range from seeking better educational opportunities to seeking a mild climate for a better standard of living. The economic motivations for international migration, which accelerated particularly after the industrial revolution, center on the search for jobs with better wages and better working conditions. Political motivations for international migration due to growing instability within nations have increased migration flows since the 20th century, during which humanity witnessed the First and Second World Wars and many other regional clashes. The aim of this OIC Outlook is to describe the international situation. migration in OIC member countries. The presentation is based on data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) database, the World Bank's “Migration and Remittances Factbook 2008” and extracts from OECD statistics. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION STOCK In 2005, the total international migration stock (IMS) reached approximately 195 million people compared to 84 million in 1970, an increase of approximately 131%. While the OIC Member Countries as a group accounted for 19% of the total IMS in 1970, this share in 2005 was 23%, equivalent to a growth of 4 percentage points compared to 1970. The OIC GMI as a proportion of the GMI of developing countries recorded a growth of 13 percentage points, from almost 35% in 1970 to 48% in 2005. The GMI of developing countries and of developed countries relative to total IMS was 54% and 46% in 1970 compared to 48% to 52% in 2005, respectively. While developing countries' IMS in total IMS declined by 6 percent...... middle of document ......h Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and South Asia with declines by 6.14, 2.95 and 0.94 percentage points respectively; the increase in the ratio in OIC member countries in East Asia and the Pacific as a group was 1.12 percentage points from 1995 to 2005 (Figure 9). Figure 9: Refugee population by country/territory of asylum as a % of international migration stock in OIC Member Countries by geographical regions, 1995 versus 2005Source: World Bank, WDI OnlineWorks cited1. World Bank, World Development Indicators Database, http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/DDPQQ/member.do?method=getMembers&userid=1&queryId=62. Migration and Remittances Factbook 2008, World Bank, 20083. OECD, OECD Statistics Extracts, http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx4. UNHCR, http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c125.html5. http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/seura/migworld.htm