India’s migration links with the United Arab Emirates and the United States have emerged among the world’s top international migration corridors in 2024, according to the latest World Migration Report released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency. The report highlights the growing global movement of people for employment, education and better economic opportunities, with India continuing to play a major role in international migration trends.
The report stated that nearly 304 million people across the globe were living outside their country of birth by mid-2024. While the number of international migrants has steadily increased over the years, migrants still account for a relatively small portion of the world’s population, rising from 2.9 per cent in 1990 to 3.7 per cent in 2024.
Among the largest migration corridors globally, the Mexico-United States route continued to remain at the top with around 11 million migrants. The Afghanistan-Iran and Syria-Türkiye corridors followed, largely driven by refugee displacement and conflict. The Russia-Ukraine corridor ranked fourth globally. The India-UAE migration route secured the fifth position, while the India-US corridor ranked sixth in the world.
According to the report, the India-UAE corridor is primarily driven by labour migration. The UAE hosts more than eight million international migrants, who constitute nearly 74 per cent of the country’s population. Indians form the largest expatriate community in the Gulf nation, with over three million Indians residing there. Most migrants are employed in sectors such as construction, services, trade, manufacturing and domestic work.
The report also noted that around 3.2 million Indian migrants were living in the United States in 2024, making them the second-largest foreign-born community in the country after Mexicans. However, estimates by other agencies place the total Indian diaspora in the US at nearly five million people. The report observed that Indian migration to the US has witnessed a consistent rise over the past few decades, with many Indians moving as highly skilled professionals, technology experts and international students.
It further highlighted the growing political and economic influence of the Indian diaspora in the United States. According to the UN agency, Indian-American organisations have contributed to strengthening bilateral relations between India and the US by influencing trade agreements, defence cooperation and visa policies.
Apart from the UAE and the US, other major Asian migration corridors include Bangladesh-India and India-Saudi Arabia. The report pointed out that labour migration remains one of the strongest drivers of migration from South Asian countries to Gulf nations and parts of Southeast Asia.
The study also revealed gender-based migration trends in Asia. Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have significantly larger male migrant populations due to demand for workers in construction, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia were among countries with a higher proportion of male emigrants, reflecting the labour-oriented migration pattern from the region.
The findings underline India’s growing global diaspora presence and the increasing role played by Indian migrants in shaping economic ties, remittance flows and international relations across major economies.
