Many migrants embark on a journey escaping dire socioeconomic conditions or natural disasters. Media focus is predominantly on the escapees that flee conflict to face the arduous migration system that is visibly against them. However, not all migration stems from this: only 10% of the world's international migrants are refugees or asylum seekers, and less so are irregular migrants (those that cross borders illegally). The World Migration Report and the Migration Data Portal focus on the fact that migrants embark on a journey because they can: information technology makes communication possible and information readily available, both of which facilitate migrants’ journeys enormously, and new modes of transportation also make the possibility of migration an achievable reality. Moreover, higher incomes because of remittances or economic growth in the origin countries also lead to migration because the journey becomes affordable.
