The Great Migration

Many leaders of the world have begun calling the evacuation of Aeldryn "the Great Migration." The name seems intended to inspire hope and prevent panic among the populace. The Coalition Nations are stressing social, cultural, and economic continuity. They continuously reassure their people that there will be time for everyone to evacuate through the portals. They promise that infrastructure is being established on the other side, so that economic and political systems can carry over, with the minimum possible disruption. Leaders urge people to come together, to keep working their jobs and keep their businesses running, so that society can continue functioning during this "transition." 
There are nine remaining Gate-Cities spaced around Aeldryn’s last remaining continent, Tashyn. Apparently chosen for their location, size, and resources, each of these cities represent the seat of a nation. Prior to the Collapse, these were among the most prosperous and powerful cities in the world. As such, they were those best equipped to construct the Gates according to the directions of the Kindred, and to handle the vast numbers of refugees that would be passing through to Zeldryn. The archways themselves are each the size of a small building, but they can only remain active for about half a dozen hours every two days. Moreover, something about how they function makes them interfere with one another, if they are too close together. They need to be a great distance apart, so each of the Gate-Cities only possesses a single portal. Because of this, huge numbers of refugees have gathered in and around these cities, millions upon millions of people waiting for their chance to pass through.
Different Nations have handled the logistics of this in different ways. Some have been more effective than others. Some have been more fair than others. But at its core the system is similar everywhere. Those who wish to travel through a portal must speak with some manner of official at the Gate-City. Based on the specific rules and procedures set by that Nation, prospective travelers will then be issued (or refused) a chit of passage. These are always the same, a small circular piece of pale wood, the size of a coin. Officials will carve a date or number into the chit, depending on how they are organizing the evacuation in that Gate-City. The portals will apparently not function for someone unless they have such a chit. Moreover, the chits seem to automatically attune to those that receive them, dissolving into ash if removed from that person's presence. They likewise dissolve into ash if tampered with or altered in any way after being initially handed over. 
The magical nature of the chits makes them almost impossible to forge or manipulate, but the bureaucracy that issues them is subject to the same forms of corruption and manipulation as any other. In many places, wealthy, powerful, or connected individuals are given precedence, even where this might contradict the letter of the law. Meanwhile, in other places corrupt officials will extort refugees, threatening them with later dates of passage or refusing them chits of passage entirely without a bribe or favour. These range from isolated individuals abusing their power, to larger criminal organizations who have seen an opportunity for profit or power. Conversely, there are also thriving criminal enterprises built around getting people expedited passage earlier than they should have been assigned, letting them cut the proverbial line.  
Each Coalition Nation also has its own agenda and priorities. Most desire to establish a firm presence on the other side as soon as possible, whether to ensure that they can properly care for their people, or to maintain or expand political power on Zeldryn. They are seeing to it that loyal soldiers, workers, and political allies are the first people through their portal. Everyone needed to build strong new colonies on the other side that will reflect the interests or values of those still on Aeldryn. For some, this amounts to a struggle for political or personal power, but others genuinely believe in the ideals of their culture, and wish to do everything they can to see their nation and people thrive in the new world. 
What this means is that for many people, those without political or underworld connections, the best path towards expedited passage is through service as part of a cadre. Across the continent, skilled individuals are forming groups to take on jobs, solve problems, and generally impress the right people. Working with brokers who arrange jobs and meetings, these cadres work to earn coin and make connections with those in positions of power in the Gate-Cities. Many Coalition Nations, often short on competent help during these chaotic times, have generally encouraged this trend. They offer special dispensations for acts of extraordinary service, allowing exceptionally useful or loyal cadres expedited passage through the gateways, usually with the additional promise of paying work on the other side. Of course, other cadres essentially become mercenary groups, eventually forging underworld connections and facilitating their expedited passage through less scrupulous means. For those without such options, the refugees struggling and starving outside the Gate-Cities across Tashyn, the wait for passage is a long and often dangerous one. A wait spent wondering how much time is left before the barriers fail, before the Unmaking Tide sweeps in and brings the Great Migration to a sudden and brutal conclusion.