migration

net migration

• there was negative net migration until the 1980s

• 1980 onwards- immigration increased and emigration declined

• 2023- record net migration (750,00 people)

• estimated that between 300,00/500,00 people live in the uk illegally

• 2022- the UK foreign born population was 14% (Brent- 52% but Sunderland- 4%)

why might people move to the uk

• more economic opportunities

• EVAL- limited by education, language/accent barriers, stereotypes and discrimination

• better quality of life, healthcare and education

• EVAL- these facilities are said to be in crisis

• government system- democracy, free speech and media

• EVAL- growing hostility/lack of trust towards government

globalisation

the growing interconnectedness if society. we live in a global village which is very connected

what is the impact of globalisation on the uk

• worldwide tech- communication

• global economy- imports and exports

• foreign aid/supporting other countries- donation expectations

• migration and multiculturalism

• political influence- migration, brexit

why is globalisation happening

• global media and communication

• global economic markets

• communism falling in europe

• the EU

• early colonisation by european countries

what are the sociological explanations of migration

acceleration

• migration is increasing worldwide

• net migration

• ease of travel, worldwide economy (tourism)

differentiation

• different types of migrants

• migrant is tok vague a term

• Vertovec- super diversity (more chinese born students are studying post grads in the uk than uk students- 14% drop in 2023 due to gov attempt to lower migration)

the feminisation of migration

• Ehrenreich and Hochschild- care, domestic and sex work is increasingly becoming the type of job that migrant workers do (1 in 5 NHS staff are non-uk born)

• this is due to expanding service industries in western countries

• western women are more likely to join the labour worse (need more migrant workers to do other jobs)

• inadequate amount of welfare support from the state

helots, citizens and denizens

helots- exploited

• Helots are often seen as a disposable source of labour who are undocumented and payed less than minimum wage

• often they are illegally trafficked from other countries

• 7000 potential victims were identified in 2018 (nearly half were 18 and under)

• Mo farah was brought to the UK illegally as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant

citizens- normal legal migrants

• make up approximately 14% of the population in the uk

• they are the most common type of migrants they have legally applied to live here and have been granted voting rights

denizens- rich millionaires that the government wants to live in the uk

• privilege wealthy people/ foreign nationals who are welcomed/ encouraged to move to the uk in order to boost the economy

• they bring business, tax and jobs as well as investment

• only 1 person from the top 10 richest people in britain were born here

• Roman abramovich was sanctioned financially following the invasion of ukraine due to his ties to Putin

how has migration effected identity

• Eade- new migrant identities had emerged in Britain since the 1980s

• 2nd gen migrants have hierarchical identities (putting parts of their identity in order of importance e.g. a bangladeshi muslim may feel 1. muslim 2. bangladeshi 3. british

• this is often met with hostility or challenges around assimilation

• Eriksen- talks about transnational identities (back and forth movement rather than a permanent move)

is assimilation always necessary

• Eriksen found chinese migrants in Rome continue to use mandarin as their main language

• this is due to the formation of their own chinese communities

• their business was conducted in a global financial market (so was not linked with rome itself)

• people have less need/ desire to assimilate

what do the politicalisation of migration

• migration has become a significant political issue (e.g. the southport stabbing misinformation about religion/ brexit and trumps wall/ terrorism

• “take back control” “get brexit done”

how has the uk government

2010- action taken against 21 birmingham schools due to their lack of respect for british values

michaela school 2023- school won in legal battle about right to prayer, the students were not legally entitled to a prayer room

what is the difference between shallow and deep diversity

• Eriksen- diversity is shallow (there isn’t a large variety of multiculturalism) in the uk e.g. cuisine, places of worship

• deep diversity would accept other aspects such as arranged marriages, religious dress/ veiling

what events have led to lack of deep diversity

• terrorism impacts- post 9/11 world

• manchester arena

• southport riots

• murder of lee rigby

politicisation in uk, usa and italy

uk- nigel farage

strong stance on immigration, presents as the ‘everyman’

usa- trump

maga, construction of the wall

italy- meloni

she doesn’t want italy to become a ‘refugee camp’, raise the birth rate to reduce immigration