ISTANBUL

International migration flows to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) region and labor market reached a record-high level last year, the group said Monday. 

Permanent migration to the organization's countries reached 6.1 million in 2022, up 26% from with 2021, and reaching the highest level since 2005, it said in a press release.

"15 out of the 38 OECD countries registered in 2022 their highest levels of permanent migration over the past 15 years," it noted.

Growing labor migration was one contributing factor, as migrant workers have helped lower labor and skill shortages in OECD countries, it underlined.

Asylum applications in its region were also at a record high, it said, noting: "Over two million new applications were lodged in OECD countries in 2022, well above the previous record of 1.7 million in 2015 and almost twice the 2021 level."

The Russia-Ukraine war has caused millions of Ukrainian refugees to migrate to OECD countries, it pointed out.

"Germany and Poland are hosting the highest numbers in absolute terms, while Estonia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania are hosting the highest numbers of refugees from Ukraine as a share of their population," it added.