AFRICA
ASIA
INDIA
PAKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
KAZAKHSTAN
AZERBAIJAN
GEORGIA
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
SAUDI ARABIA
TURKEY
JORDAN
ISRAEL
CYPRUS
KYRGYZSTAN
AFGHANISTAN
KUWAIT
U.A.E.
OMAN
YEMEN
CHINA
IRAQ IRAN
SOMALIA
SYRIA
TURKMENISTAN
QATAR
BAHRAIN
RUSSIA
Red Sea
Gulf of Aden
Persian
Gulf
Caspian
Sea
Arabian Sea
I N D I A N (^) O C
E A N
3.5 million
2.9 million
17,548
148
889,397
1.4 million
197,122
2,069
9,74 5
25,637 1,115
602
20
2,516
75,927
334
4.9 million
6%
3.2 million
33.3%
1.2 million
1.2%
116,089
12.1%
Saudi Arabia
12.2 million
37%
3.6 million
20%
259,241
78,200 2.6%
2%
188,973
16%
2 mil.
23.6%
5.2 million
0.4%
1.2 million
3.6%
3.4 million
1.7%
200,294
273,259 3.3%
3.1%
133,612
0.4%
Total migrants
% of country’s
total population
Refugees
Number of migrants, 2017
Refugee camp,
center, or settlement
2 million
START,
Afar Triangle
Jan. 2013
Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh
Feb. 2019
Faridkot,
Punjab
July 2018
Ardoukôba lava field
April 2013
Aqaba
Dec. 2013
Argıl
Oct. 2014
Manata Pass
June 2016
Abbottabad
March 2018
Salop
ek’s ro
ute
Salo
pek
’s (^) ro
ut
e
Bengaluru
(Bangalore)
AMONG THE UPROOTED
Since starting his trek out of Africa in 2013, Paul Salopek has
traversed 16 countries (shown below), all marked by large-scale
movements of people. Millions of them are international migrants,
traveling from one country to another, mostly to find work and
improve their lives. Many others, though, are refugees, forced to
leave homelands ravaged by war or environmental disaster.
Migration magnet
The strong economies of Arab
countries in the Persian Gulf have
made the region a top destination
for migrant workers. Gulf states
host nearly 14 percent of the
world’s foreign labor.
Avoiding catastrophe
War has driven millions from their
homes into neighboring countries.
Syrians have fled to Turkey and Jordan,
Afghans to Pakistan and Iran, and South
Sudanese and others to Ethiopia.
Kazakhstan has seen
an influx of migrants
to work in its boom-
ing construction
industry.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t
accept refugees,
but migrant workers
drawn to domes-
tic service and
construction jobs
make up nearly
40 percent of the
population.
Syrians make
up more than
98 percent
of Turkey’s
refugee
population.
TAYLOR MAGGIACOMO AND RYAN WILLIAMS, NGM STAFF. SOURCES: UNHCR; UN DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS; INTERNATIONAL LABOUR
ORGANIZATION; INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION