ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter has several modest purposes: first, with respect to data, to highlight some facts about contemporaneous international migration in the world; second, with respect to methodology, to consider definitions of migration, sources of data, and the need for surveys; and third, to consider policy issues, the new international consensus. All three will only be dealt with briefly, and not in a comprehensive manner. The purpose is mainly to provide a short but broad and up-to-date background for the other chapters in this volume, which deal with many key aspects of international migration in some detail. Accordingly, the first section below provides data on recent global patterns in international migration, followed by a very brief discussion of definitions and deficiencies in existing sources of data. This establishes a basis for collecting data from specialized surveys on international migration. Finally, the new global policy consensus is described, followed by two brief points in conclusion.
