migration, identity and sovereignty

core-periphery model

• core is urban and periphery is rural

• rural-urban migration of labour means that there are higher paying jobs and transport links in the core

• periphery areas provide raw materials to core

• investment in core leads to disparity and polarisation increasing which means that periphery areas become ghost towns with no schools or services, ageing population, leads to cycle of decline

• backwash - flows of capital, labour and investment from periphery to core. leads to economic polarisation

• global systems encourage core-periphery modek

• rural areas - LIC - agribusinesses are run commercially on a large scale. uses chemicals and technology so less labour is required. leads to a seasonal economy and poverty traps unless rural to urban migration happens

• export processing zones - investment from TNCs due to low/no tax, which leads to rural-urban migration

rural-urban migration in China

• between 150-250 million Chinese have moved within china since 1975

• net losers are central provinces whereas coastal, eastern areas are gainers

• by 2020, 60% of population lived in cities

• cheap labour force attracts FDI and so migration enabled economic growth

rural-urban migration in Spain

• led to Celtiberian highlands have been abandoned

• 600 villages with less than 100 people and average age of 57

• high rural unemployment led to young people migrating

• schools have been shut and low birth rate means no recovery

international migration in EU Schengen area

• in 1995, free movement of labour has led to migration from eastern and southern europe

• allows labour to move where demand is

• has led to a growth of nationalist movements and racism and hostility towards migrants has become more common

migration definition

• movement of people across a specified boundary, national or international, to establish a new permanent place of residence. permanent migrants are defined by UN as lasting more than a year, any shorter is called circulatory movement

refugee definition

• a protected legal status and under international law all countries have a duty to protect refugees. they have fled their country to escape conflict or persecution

• 42.5 million global refugees in June 2025

asylum seeker definition

• a person who is seeking refuge status and international protection. however their claims have not yet bee evaluated and are still being processed

• not all asylum seekers will be recognised as refugees. if they are not recognised then are considered illegal migrants as they don’t have a legitimate reason to stay

• 8.4 million asylum seekers in June 2025