International migration case study

International migration case study

1. MEXICO-USA

   • the border between Mexico and the USA is over 2000km long, US border patrol watch the border 24/7 aiming to stop the 1 million + Mexicans that migrate yearly
     • Push factors= Poor medical facilities • High unemployment • Low paid jobs • Low literacy rates • Low education standard
     • Pull factors • Excellent medical facilities • Well-paid jobs • High literacy rates • Many jobs for low pay Mexicans • High life expectancy
     • Impacts on Mexico • Mexican countryside has a shortage of active working people • Women left on their own • The very young and very old left • Some villages have lost up to 2/3 of their inhabitants • Legal + illegal immigrants send almost $6 million back to Mexico
     • Impacts on USA • Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons • Migrant workers keep wagers low • Cause racial issues • Benefit US economy by working for low wages • Brought Mexican culture with them: food, language, music • Brought diseases with them

2. POLAND-UK

   • Several Poles continue to immigrate to England in search of better jobs etc. it is estimated that poles are now the 3rd largest represented minority in the UK
     • Pull Factors=Unemployment in the UK at 5.1% -Skill shortages along with high demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour Vacancies in the UK -for October to December 2007 were 607, 900 GDP in Poland was $12, 700 per head compared to $30, 900 in the UK – average earnings -UK were only one of three countries who did not restrict the numbers od immigrants from Eastern European countries
     • Push factors=Average unemployment in Poland of 18.5% -in 2005 Youth unemployment of around -40% Rural unemployment in some areas of over 40%
     • Effects on Poland=Brain drain of skilled workers seeking employment abroad -Loss of entrepreneurial spirit as those that emigrate tend to be the biggest risk takers -Injection of foreign cash as wages are repatriates -Less pressure on resources -Political will to raise standards of living back home -one example was that there were no male firefighters left so women had to do the job
     • Benefits=£2.5 billion contributed to the economy by eastern European immigrants -Between 0.5% and 1% of UK growth in 2006 attributed to the same workers -80% of migrants between 18 and 35 year old – N.I. contributions help UK cope with aging population -New migrants typically hard working, enthusiastic, skilled and flexible -Offset inflationary pressures caused by rising fuel prices allowing interest rates to remain low -Migrants filled a skills gap, in reality they took on undesirable, low paid jobs

3. Types of migration

   • • economic migration - moving to find work or follow a particular career path
   • • social migration - moving somewhere for a better quality of life or to be closer to family or friends
   • • political migration - moving to escape political persecution or war
   • •environmental- causes of migration include natural disasters such as flooding