Topic 23: Migration: a global question

Topic 23: Migration: a global question

1. The majority situation

   • Migration is a true global issue, not only because of the huge number of people who move, but because of the impact it has on the international community. The fact that millions of people move from one country or continent to another has an influence on their places of origin, the countries migrants go through and where they arrive.
     • The circumstances in which migrations occur are diverse. It is difficult, therefore, to establish what people who have migrated in their destination countries do. For those who have to leave their country for being persecuted, for example, the exit is forced and, in many cases, urgent. They do not have the time to prepare and the task of settling is more complicated.

2. Coexistence in the country of destination

   • Before traveling, people who migrate already think where they will arrive and have contacts to look for work. Then they locate where they will live and specify the work. For all this, very active networks work in the countries of destination. Once installed, newcomers make friends and organize everyday life.
     • Many people are engaged in jobs that in the countries of destination are not much appreciated, Wages are better than those of their countries of origin. The majority has several ways of income and lives in very precarious conditions to be able to send resources to the family. Those who are in an irregular situation, that is, without a work visa, face greater exploitation and the risk of being deported, even with the threat of being denounced. They accept jobs in situations of disadvantage

3. Relationship between nationals and foreigners

   • The level of education, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, being male or female, one's nationality, religion and other characteristics significantly influence the transfer to another country, whether regular or not, and for living together in the country of destination. The coexistence between nationals of the country and "foreigners" has less resistance when these characteristics coincide more.
     • On the other hand, there is a lot of tension with the Africans. Here in Ecuador, negative reactions to certain groups of immigrants from Colombia, Peru, Haiti and Cuba are increasing.
       • Another widespread issue is to relate immigrants to crime. In fact, there are cases, but crime exists in all countries and places, it is not a matter of place of origin; insecurity has many causes and is very complex. It is a mistake to hold migrations responsible for insecurity.

4. Women and migration

   • There is little talk about women and migration, but certainly many women have migrated. Others, on the other hand, have stayed and face the impacts of migration. This silence about the Female migration, among other reasons, is due to the fact that until the mid-20th century, on average, there were more men than women.
     • There is also what has been defined as feminization of work. A large part of women who migrate work in what is called the care economy, which includes care for children, elderly or sick people or who require special care and domestic work. All these activities are related to the traditional roles assigned to women.

5. The transnational families

   • In the last decades families have changed in the world and in our environment. Migrations have caused special situations.
     • The transnational family is the result of international migration. Its members are in more than one country. For example, a family whose mother is in the US, the father and part of sons and daughters are still in Ecuador and another of the sons is in Italy. Among them they maintain emotional and economic ties.
       • The transnational family is expanded. It is made up of the father, the mother, their offspring and other members that replace those who are absent, such as grandparents, uncles or neighbors. Paternal and maternal authority is shared by others. There is much to know about the scope and personal costs of this new type of family that, it must be noted, does not always manage to train. In many cases, the migration of father, mother or both trigger the breakdown of family ties that, in general, were not strong.

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