We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, as individuals seek to create their own pathways from poverty to prosperity. People undertaking irregular journeys are remarkably vulnerable; they are subject to exploitation at the hands of human traffickers, who generate around $150 billion in illegal profits each year. For many their fate is even more appalling, finding themselves trapped in a world of modern slavery and sexual exploitation. The challenge of accommodating the current levels of displacement has become too great for 21st century approaches.

Led by Dr Alastair Masser, our Global People Movements programme seeks to provide the data we need to form an accurate appraisal of the motivations behind the extraordinary journeys migrants are taking all over the world, and the risks they face, so we can identify solutions.