Immigration report
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Immigration report
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SCOTT JAGOW: It’s probably a stereotype that people who migrate to the U.S. or other countries are mostly men. They get a job and send the money back to the wife and kids. But a report from the United Nations out today says half of migrants are women. And the report looks why they’re on the move, and what they’re giving up. More now from Scott Tong.
SCOTT TONG: The report suggests an emerging trend among women migrants: More and more of them set out on their own, often heading to Europe and North America, often for low-paying jobs.
MARIA JOSE ALCALAH: In this country you do have a lot of women coming in for domestic work, as household helpers.
That’s Maria Jose Alcalah, lead author of the UN report. She says another magnet is nursing jobs.
Problem is, that drains medical workers from developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.
ALCALAH: We need to ensure that richer countries that face shortages, such as the united states, the UK and others, that they invest adequately in meeting their own nursing needs at home.
And, she says, wealthy countries need to help poor countries train more medical workers.
The UN report also highlights the ominous and increasing trend of human trafficking.
Every year, some 800,000 people are sent across borders against their will. Eighty percent of those are women and girls.
In Washington, I’m Scott Tong for Marketplace.
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