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23. Migration to Britain, and to a lesser extent to other countries of Europe, from other continents is mentioned else- where. This section should not be concluded without a refer- ence to the tens of thousands of Poles who left their country in 1980 and 1981. Though the total number is probably not known, there were several tens of thousands in western Europe at the end of 1981, many of whom were requesting asylum as political refugees (in Austrian camps alone there were already some 25 000 at the end of December 1981). The acqui- sition of refugee status makes it easier for many of them to emigrate to the countries of their choice, notably Australia, Canada and the United States. Whereas the Poles' reasons for leaving were no doubt varied, and whereas some may have in- tended to go back, the more favourable economic situation in western countries doubtless constituted a "pull" effect.
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24.
The international migration of labour is of crucial significance in the Arab world, affecting in 1975 over 2.5 million Arab workers and dependants, as well as half a million non-Arabs who
into the region from outside. It is mainly a result of economic forces although forced migrations as a result of the Middle East wars have led to some important international redistributions of people, while emigration in pursuit of educational opportunities is also significant.
25.
The construction, operation and administration of the oil companies, calling for a volume of labour with skills not available locally, brought about the establishment of a certain migration pattern throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s. In 1972, before the oil price rises which were to bring about a fourfold increase in state revenues of oil- producing countries of the Middle East
East radically transformed the pace and scale of economic deelopment, there were an estimated 800 000 migrant labourers working in those countries. This figure was to double by 1975 because of a virtually insatiable demand for labour, and immigrant workers were to account for almost one-half of total employment in the capital- rich states (mainly the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates).