5.6 lakh Indians migrated to rich OECD countries in 2022 | India News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Every year, Indians continue their journey abroad, with many drawn to wealthy countries like the US, Britain and Canada – countries within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that have historically closed their doors to them opened. Be it new immigrants, international students or those acquiring citizenship, Indians dominate the charts in immigration flows to OECD countries. However, recent protectionist policies indicate that the open road is narrowing.
2022 turned out to be a landmark year – a record 5.6 lakh Indians moved to OECD countries – a significant jump of 35% over the previous year. India maintained its lead as the top source of new migrants, followed by China with 3.2 lakh. Indians made up 6.4% of all new immigrants in OECD countries, while China contributed 3.8%.

One notable shift was Russia’s rise in the migration ranks. With 2.6 million Russians migrating to OECD countries in 2022, Russia rose from 18th place, displacing Romania.
The International Migration Outlook 2024, published in Paris on Thursday, describes these shifts. In 2022, Britain welcomed 1.12 lakh Indians, almost double the number in 2021, while 1.25 lakh Indians migrated to the US, marking a 35% increase. However, Canada saw a dip with 1.18 lakh Indians, down 8% from the previous year. In these countries, Indians migrated mainly through labor routes, often as main applicants or as accompanied family members.
China also resumed significant migration after two years of Covid-related restrictions. More than three lakh Chinese immigrants came to OECD member states in 2022, an increase of 13% compared to the previous year. In the US in particular, migration flows from China increased by 37% and returned to pre-pandemic levels with 68,000 new arrivals.
Russia and Romania, each contributing 2.7 million new immigrants, were the next top countries of origin. Meanwhile, Türkiye, Israel and Germany emerged as the top OECD destinations for Russian migrants. The Romanians, on the other hand, largely moved to Germany, Spain and Italy.
Yet the reception of new immigrants is visibly less enthusiastic. Under the incoming Trump administration, immigration to the US may be more closely monitored, including in the area of ​​work visas. Canada also recently announced a planned reduction in immigration targets over the next three years, and Britain has introduced protectionist policies such as raising wage thresholds and shortening the list of shortage occupations.
Citizenship Trends:
In 2022, over 1.9 lakh Indians took nationality as an OECD country, marking a 40% increase and securing India’s place as the top country of origin for new OECD citizens. This record was largely due to a threefold increase in the number of Indians acquiring Canadian citizenship, reaching a total of 60,000. The report expects a further increase in 2023.
Syria ranked second in 2022, with 1.34 lakh nationals acquiring OECD citizenship – a 28% increase from 2021 – followed by Morocco, with 1.21 lakh Moroccans becoming citizens in Spain, Italy and France. Mexicans largely acquired US citizenship, with their numbers declining slightly in 2022.