According to “Mongolia: Internal Migration Study”, conducted by the National University of Mongolia, nearly half of the country’s population (47%) are now living in the capital, up from a little over a quarter (26.8%) in 1989. Between 2010 and 2016, some 126,143 people arrived in Ulaanbaatar according to the National Statistics Office.
The study, which surveyed some 4,000 migrant and non-migrant households, showed that most people did not migrate in response to a specific event. Most moved in search of jobs, better living conditions, educational opportunities, better health services, or to reunite with family members.
The majority settled in Ger districts in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, which now account for over 60 per cent of the city’s population, but have never been adequately integrated into municipal planning. New migrants form almost one third of the population living in these areas and an estimated 40% of them are believed to be in need of support.
The challenges and hardships they face are outlined in a second report: ““Urban Migrant Vulnerability Assessment” compiled by the NGO Ger Community Mapping Center.
Both studies, conducted over a year, were supported by the Ulaanbaatar City Municipality (UCM) and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
“SDC’s support to conduct these assessments reflects a new direction in the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for Mongolia 2018-2021 that is, enhancing our engagement to address the challenges of rapid urbanization”, said Gabriella Spirli, General Consul and Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
“Although the studies showed that the majority of migrants feel better off in Ulaanbaatar, they also revealed a lot of information about the types of hardships the migrants face in the capital,” said Ulaanbaatar City Mayor S. Batbold. “These studies provided us with invaluable evidence on which to base a new city population policy that meets the needs of the residents.”
“These studies go further than providing important baseline data. They represent a breakthrough, because they are evidence-based and propose short and longer term solutions at national and local levels to improve current policies and procedures,” said IOM Mongolia Officer-in-Charge Richard Fairbrother.
Following the launch of the reports, IOM with the support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation will provide training to Mongolian policy makers on the principles, dynamics and challenges that characterize strategic management of internal migration. The trainings will aim to help the government to eventually draft a policy framework for the management of internal migration.
