In 2014, significant flows of migration to, through and from the Middle East and North Africa continued unabated. Ongoing conflict, economic stagnation, and political turmoil were main drivers of migration, though motives for movement remain complex. Irregular migration – especially for vulnerable or under-protected people such as unaccompanied minors, women and sexual minorities – exposed migrants to an array of risks as they attempted to attain physical safety and economic stability.

The 2014 annual report on IOM’s work in the Middle East and North Africa is organized thematically, reflecting the areas of work carried out by the organization: emergency and humanitarian operations, migrant assistance, border management, support for migration policy, labour migration and human development. Migration health is a cross-cutting area of work reflected in multiple sections. The report also includes a section on research and publications, as well as a data analysis section which presents a comprehensive breakdown of persons who have befitted from IOM activities in the Middle East and North Africa in 2014.