Consequences of Migration

Consequences of Migration

1. Economic

   • Reduces wages for domestic works/takes their jobs,
   • Low-skilled migrants may not be very productive.
   • More strain on A&E as many don't register with a GP.
   • Demand for resources, such as housing, leads to shortages and increasing prices.
   • Host countries economies can loose out as money earnt there is sent back to the source country.
   • Retirees who move abroad, spend their savings in the host country, meaning the source country loose out.
   • Sometimes, jobs are created to suit the needs of the migrants.

2. Social

   • Language barriers make it harder for people to communicate with each other.
   • Some people don't have the same right to health care in host countries, so when they need it, they may not get it.
   • Young migrants pay taxes which can help support ageing populations.
   • Creation of 'Parallel Communities' that don't mix.

3. Cultural

   • Shops selling foreign food e.g. Polish food in the Asda in Herefordshire.
   • Opening up of shops selling a migrants home food/products in host country in areas where they've settled.
   • Some migrants can't interact with people in the host country because of language barriers; causes racial tension.

4. Demographic

   • Population of the source country can shrink as people move out.
     • Changes in birth and death rate and those in the reproductive age.
   • Population of host countries e.g. UK increase in the working age sector and can also decrease as retirees migrate to places such as Spain.
     • This can increase Spain's population of elderly.

5. Environmental

   • People going to and from host and source countries regularly use air travel.
   • Air traffic is increased, which means more carbon emissions are released and global warming becomes worse.

6. Political

   • Some MEDCs allow free migration from LEDCs, whereas other don't.
     • The UK allowed unlimited migration from Poland but when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 they didn't allow it.
   • Local elections e.g. Spain are effected by UK immigrants as they have the right to vote and can stand as candidates.
     • Some people in Spain think that health care UK migrants receive in Spain should be paid for by the UK NHS.