Migration

Migration

1. Why do people migrate?

   • Push factors:
     • Problems pushing people away from home, e.g unemployment, underemployment, economic and political change.
   • Pull factors:
     • Benefits attracting people to a new location, e.g. opportunities for employment, improved education, better pay and improved quality of life.

2. In the last 30 years, migration has increased due to globalisation causing workers to be on the move!

3. Who is moving?

   • Flows of workers called 'economic migrants'
   • Mainly educated professionals (e.g. teachers doctors etc) from developed countries as they are more aware of the oppurtunities overseas and they can fill job shortages for skilled workers in host nations.
   • The poorest people tend to want to stay in their own countries.

4. Benefits of migration for the host nation:

   • Fills skills gaps and shortages in the labour market
   • Often provides a young workforce which contributes to tax payments and therefore helps balance out the effect of the ageing population.
   • Migrants workers often work for lower wages and also fill the jobs that the local people do not want (the three D's dangerous, dirty and difficult).
   • Economic growth as migrants are also consumers.

5. Problems of migration for the host nation:

   • Increased population density leads to an increased demand for resources such as housing which leads to shortages and an increased price for everyone.
   • Reduces wages for the local people as the migrants often work for lower amounts, in the worst cases they take their jobs.
   • Migrants may fail to integrate with local society and therefore social enclaves form as migrants cluster in one particular area.

6. Benefits of migration for the source nation:

   • Migrants often send remittances back home, this can amount up to 10% of the GDP.
   • Returning migrants are likely to bring back new skills for the country.
   • Less pressure on resources such as land.

7. Problems of migration for the source nation:

   • If key workers leave, economic growth may slow.
   • Family break up as usually the men leave and migrate for work and leave behind the family.
   • A culture of emigration, the sense that leaving is a good thing, and this can cause societies to undervalue themselves.