What is the role of migration in population change?

What is the role of migration in population change?

1. Voluntary migration

   • Mexico to USA
     • 1 million Mexicans per year
     • Illegal immigration big issue in the US
     • Gender imbalance - men often leave women behind
     • Working community in Mexico weakened
     • Push factors
       • Poor medical facilities
         • 1800 people per doctor
       • Jobs are low paid
         • $3750 GNP
       • 55% adult literacy
       • 40% unemployment
     • Pull factors
       • Higher paid jobs
         • $24,750 GNP
       • Better medical facilities
       • 99% adult literacy rate
       • Good medical facilities
         • 400 people per doctor
       • Many jobs for low paid workers
     • 22% of entire Mexican population live in USA
       • Also make up 10.3% of US pop
   • Poland to UK
     • Between 500,000 - 600,000 poles in UK today - 3rd largest minority group 1st is India
     • Push
       • Unemployment 18.2%
         • 40% in some places
       • GNP $12,700
     • Pull
       • Unemployment in UK 5.1%
       • GNP $30,900
       • Lots of jobs for migrants
         • Low paid/ unwanted
   • Transmigration within Indonesia
     • World's 4th largest country
     • Java overpopulated
       • Farmers presented with incentives to move to Kalimantan
         • 'Mega Rice Project'
           • Locals lose lands
             • Resort to logging as land is being lost anyway
         • Plot of land given (2 ha) to make a living off of
           • Destructive - Swampland and forests flattened for new land
             • Land often not very fertile
               • Requires expensive fertilisers
                 • Chemicals pollute waters
               • Most cannot make a living off of land
                 • Initial rations not enough

2. Forced migration

   • Hurricane Katrina
     • Estimated 450,000 to 600,000 families displaced
     • Evacuated citizens relocated across the 50 states and other major cities - mostly Houston
       • Families separated
       • Stress placed on those states and cities
   • Iraq War
     • Caused up to 1 million internally displaced persons
       • Estimated a further 1.6 - 2 million people have fled the country (nearly 7% of total population)
     • Many have moved to Jordan and Syria
       • Caused great demographic change for both governments
       • Increased poverty in areas of refugees and asylum seekers
     • Roughly 40% of middle class believed to have fled
       • No desire to return - economic sector struggles