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Sunday, November 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Population
POPULATION-CHINA: Open Borders Fuel Trade in Vietnamese Wives
Deng Wendong, 50, is persistent. Thirteen years after his first Vietnamese wife left him and brought their daughter with her, he got another bride from across the border in Vietnam.POPULATION-CHINA: Open Borders Fuel Trade in Vietnamese Wives
Deng Wendong, 50, is persistent.LABOUR-ARGENTINA: Women to Gain Union Leadership Posts
Leadership posts in Argentina's trade unions, which are dominated by men, will be forced open this month to broader participation by women thanks to a new law that reserves 30 percent of the candidacies in internal elections for women.LABOUR-ARGENTINA: Women to Gain Share of Leadership Posts
Leadership posts in Argentina's trade unions, which are dominated by men, will be forced open this month to broader participation by women thanks to a new law that reserves 30 percent of the candidacies in internal elections for women.POPULATION-LATAM: Mercosur’s Social Integration Begins
The newly-agreed free circulation of persons throughout South America's Southern Cone will extend the region's integration process - so far limited to trade - into the social and labour spheres.POPULATION-LATAM: Mercosur’s Social Integration Begins
The newly-agreed free circulation of persons throughout South America's Southern Cone will extend the region's integration process -- so far limited to trade -- into the social and labour spheres.POPULATION-MERCOSUR: Illegal Immigrants to See Status Normalised
The ministers of Justice and of Interior from the four Mercosur countries, and from Bolivia and Chile, approved a measure Friday in Salvador, Brazil, to grant legal residency in any of the six nations to all citizens of the bloc.POPULATION-MERCOSUR: Illegal Immigrants to See Status Normalised
The ministers of Justice and of Interior from the four Mercosur countries, and from Bolivia and Chile, approved a measure Friday in Salvador, Brazil, to grant legal residency in any of the six nations to all citizens of the bloc.POPULATION-RUSSIA: Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants
A new law introduced this month gives the police new powers to deal with illegal immigrants while seeking to strengthen the rights of legal migrants.POPULATION-RUSSIA: Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants
A new law introduced this month gives the police new powers to deal with illegal immigrants while seeking to strengthen the rights of legal migrants.POLITICS-CANADA: Backlog, New Policies Make Immigration Tough
The Canadian government is sending clear signals that it is tightening its immigration and refugee system to reduce the number of claimants who are granted entry to this country, critics say.CUBA-US: Cubans Face Odyssey to See Loved Ones
It has become even more difficult for Cubans to visit their family members in the United States, costing around 1,000 dollars and taking several months of paperwork for the lucky ones who are granted an entrance visa.CUBA-US: Cubans Face Odyssey to See Loved Ones
It has become even more difficult for Cubans to visit their family members in the United States, costing around 1,000 dollars and taking several months of paperwork for the lucky ones who are granted an entrance visa.POLITICS-CANADA: Backlog, New Policies Make Immigration Tough
The Canadian government is sending clear signals that it is tightening its immigration and refugee system to reduce the number of claimants who are granted entry to this country, critics say.RIGHTS/LABOUR-PERU: The Plight of Young Indigenous Domestics
Around 100,000 girls below the age of 14, mainly indigenous girls from rural villages in the Peruvian highlands, work in semi-slavery conditions as live-in domestics in the capital and other large cities.RIGHTS/LABOUR-PERU: The Plight of Young Indigenous Domestics
Around 100,000 girls below the age of 14, mainly indigenous girls from rural villages in the Peruvian highlands, work in semi-slavery conditions as live-in domestics in the capital and other large cities.POPULATION: Wealthy Nations Close Doors on Immigrants – Study
While they still look to recruit professionals from abroad, most wealthy nations are closing their doors on unskilled workers fleeing poor countries, says a study on international migration released here.ECUADOR: Indigenous Movement Grows in Strength
Ecuador's indigenous movement, the best- organised in Latin America, won more than 12 percent of the vote in the first round of this Andean nation's general elections last week, the fruit of more than a decade of organising.POPULATION: UAE Eyes Ways to Discourage Marriage with Foreigners
Like many of his friends, young businessman Muhammad Al Bayan avoided marrying a local woman out of fear of the huge costs of a lavish wedding in the United Arab Emirates. ''There was no way that I could have organised the amount of dowry that I was asked,'' recalls Al Bayan, who is now married to an Indian woman.POPULATION: Wealthy Nations Close Doors on Immigrants – Study
While they still look to recruit professionals from abroad, most wealthy nations are closing their doors on unskilled workers fleeing poor countries, says a study on international migration released here.ECUADOR: Indigenous Movement Grows in Strength
Ecuador's indigenous movement, the best- organised in Latin America, won more than 12 percent of the vote in the first round of this Andean nation's general elections last week, the fruit of more than a decade of organising.« Previous Page — Next Page »
One Thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Relocated from Tomping Camp in South Sudan. Credit: UN Photo/Isaac Billy
It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world’s human population to cross one billion in 1804. Approximately 200 years later, the population has multiplied sevenfold. In 2023, the global population crossed 8 billion, and is expected to reach 9 billion before 2050. With the planet more crowded than ever, it is essential to keep track of population trends, urbanization, migration, and reproduction across the world.
Life expectancy has seen significant strides in the past century, largely due to economic development and increased standards of living. On the contrary, trends in global fertility are shifting, with certain regions in Africa and Asia reporting higher rates, while parts of Europe and North America report stagnant or lower rates. This is in part due to differences in sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as societal and economic conditions around the world. For example, child marriage is prevalent in certain societies, where childbearing is also considered a familial duty. Meanwhile, stagnating economies frequently experience lower marriage and childbearing rates.
The increase in migration and urban development around the world is also linked to global population trends. By 2050, it is expected that approximately 66 percent of all people will live in cities. Furthermore, global crises such as warfare and natural disasters also prompt transnational migration. Transnational migration is linked to a variety of socioeconomic issues in both host and receiving countries: migrants often leave developing countries with less access to educational and economic opportunities and arrive in developed countries where they are frequently the targets of ethnic, racial, and cultural discrimination, and economic exploitation. Recent crises in Europe and the United States demonstrate the importance of advocating for migrants worldwide. As migrants from the Global South are increasingly stripped of their legal and civic rights in unlawful deportations, or targeted in acts of identity-based violence, it is essential to keep track of population trends and protect the human rights of migrant populations. Climate-related disasters are now a major driver of displacement, with nearly half of all new internal displacements in 2025 being disaster-related.
IPS is devoted to covering issues surrounding population trends, migration, and reproduction through its compelling articles, which use both statistics and human stories to provide readers with robust and informative viewpoints.
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