With the world’s lowest fertility rate and one of the fastest-aging populations, South Korea is confronting a shrinking workforce and mounting economic pressures. Immigration has become part of the policy conversation, but questions remain about how much it can help and how Korean society will adapt to diversity.

In this World of Migration episode, our Lawrence Huang speaks with Juyoung Jang, chief of the Policy Research Department at the Migration Research and Training Center in South Korea, about the rapid shift from being a country of emigration to one of immigration. They discuss how migration to South Korea has evolved over the past decades, how the government is expanding pathways for workers and international students, and what challenges migrants encounter – from housing and language barriers to social acceptance. Looking ahead, they consider what the next 10 to 20 years could bring as immigration, integration, and demographic change reshape South Korean society.

Many Indigenous people have a deep connection to their ancestral homelands that dates back centuries. What happens when climate change and other factors force them to move away from those lands? This episode discusses issues affecting Indigenous people, especially in the Americas. Our guest is environmental scientist Jessica Hernandez, a climate justice and Indigenous advocate. She discusses the factors compelling migration for Indigenous communities, their experiences after migration, and the dearth of Indigenous voices in policy discussions over climate change and migration.

Climate change is driving and altering migration in a variety of ways. Patterns of human movement often differ in the face of fast-moving environmental disasters such as floods and wildfires, versus slow-onset changes including extreme heat, drought, and sea-level rise. Other factors, including the resilience of a community’s infrastructure and their dependence on agricultural livelihoods, can help determine whether, when, and how people migrate.

At the same time, leaving home can be a way for individuals to adapt to a more precarious climate. The money that migrants earn and send back can help families and communities invest in defenses against changing climates and ultimately help them stay in place long term. As the effects of climate change increase globally in the coming years, the ramifications for human migration—as well as forced immobility—will only grow.

On this webinar, speakers discuss on-the-ground experiences of climate change and migration in East Africa, South Asia, and other global contexts.

Speakers:

• Julian Hattem, Editor, Migration Information Source, MPI; Author, Shelter from the Storm: How Climate Change Is Creating a New Era of Migration
• Rose Kobusinge, Founder and Director, Vital Crest Foundation
• Zahid Amin Shashoto, Head of Program, Climate Change and Water Governance, Uttaran, Bangladesh

Opening Remarks: Andrew Selee, President, MPI

Moderator: Lawrence Huang, Policy Analyst, MPI

www.migrationpolicy.org

• MPI’s related resource can be found at: https://bit.ly/climateandmigration
• Listen to MPI’s podcast Changing Climate, Changing Migration at https://bit.ly/ClimateMigrationPod
• Check out Julian Hattem’s book “Shelter from the Storm: How Climate Change Is Creating a New Era of Migration” – https://bit.ly/climatemigration-hattem