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A quintessential feature of globalisation has been a parametric increase in the scale and significance of flows between countries. Barriers to flows of commodities, capital, information, tourists and business travellers have been massively reduced. International labour flows also have significantly increased although barriers to it remain and may have increased in some cases, even where there are severe labour shortages. At least this is the case for low skilled labour migration. In fact the international movement of high skilled labour has been facilitated by many countries introducing 'skill friendly visa systems' and in some cases allowing such workers to become permanent residents and citizens. Widening international differentials in demography and income have increased labour shortage/labour surplus contrasts between nations and these steepening gradients have been important drivers of the new international labour migration. However, this movement has also been facilitated by several elements of globalisation - the cheapening of international travel, modern information communication technology and the free flow of information across boundaries have all contributed to an internationalisation of labour markets.

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