Introduction

We are living in a time of massive international migration. Not since the turn of the century have so many people been on the move. Many factors account for this vast movement of people: The world is becoming increasingly integrated and interdependent; there are vast refugee flows as a result of international conflicts or because of civil wars, or some combination of the two, as in Central America; technological innovations have significantly diminished travel and communication costs; high population growth rates contribute to heightening labor market pressures in migrant-sending countries; news from most parts of the world travels fast; and expectations, except in the most isolated countries (and perhaps not even then, as witness recent emigration pressures in Albania), are no longer shaped only by traditional, local standards but are acquired in many cases from the rich industrialized countries.