Global Migration - Paper 2 Geography

overview

• migration is linked to the process of globalisation

• volumes, scales, direction and demographics of migration flows are constantly changing

• there exists a wide range of reasons for migration, but globally the largest group of migrants are economic migrants seeking work in another country and sending remittances to their family back home

• there is also a growing number of refugees and asylum seekers

• the impacts of migration on both host country and country of origin can be wide-ranging, and demographic, economic, social, cultural, political and environmental in nature

remittances

funds sent to a migrant’s country of origin

refugee

a person who has moved outside their country of nationality in order to escape war, persecution or natural hazards

asylum seeker

a person who enters another country seeking refugee status due to fear for their life in their home country

net migration

the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants for a particular country

international migration flows - UK

• the main countries of origin of UK immigrants are India, Poland and Pakistan

• the main countries of destination of UK emigrants are Australia, USA and Canada

• the main reasons for emigration include employment opportunities, retirement and being reunited with families abroad

• women made up 52% of the UK’s immigrant population in 2019

• 35% of immigrants in the UK live in London

inter-regional migration flows - migration to Europe to escape conflict in Africa and the Middle East

• 1885 people died in Mediterranean Sea crossings in 2019

• Tunisia and Bangladesh accounted for the largest number of migrants arriving in Italy by sea in 2020

• other routes include crossings between Turkey and Greece and from West Africa to Spain

intra-regional migration flows - within Europe

• in 2019, 1.4 million people resident in an EU country migrated to another EU country

• Germany is a popular destination for migrants within the EU

• the main motive for migration is economic, e.g. Polish migrants attracted to the UK by greater employment opportunities, higher wages and a better standard of living

• in 2020 there were 815,000 Polish people living in the UK and 40,000 UK residents living in Poland

link between migration and development

there is a close relationship between migration and development for two main reasons

1. migration can contribute to economic development by providing workforce and new skills. also, paid employees lead to the multiplier effect as their income stimulates further economic growth

2. inequalities in income levels between different countries generate movement of people seeking a better lifestyle

effect of remittances

• in EDCs and LIDCs, remittance payments can contribute a large proportion to a country’s GDP

• they also boost the spending power of the families who receive remittance payments and stimulate economic growth

• remittances are affected by restrictive immigration policies of developed countries and costs of travel

• migrant remittances to countries with a higher HDI are a smaller percentage of the GDP, whereas to those countries with lower HDI remittances are a higher percentage of GDP, e.g. USA remittances in 2019 were $6.8 billion but only 0.1% of GDP, Haiti received $3.27 billion, which made up 37.1% of GDP

how does global migration promote stability

• migrant remittances are a source of foreign exchange which can contribute to economic stability of the recipient country (flow of money)

• where there is an ageing population, youthful migrant working populations contribute to a more balanced age structure and population growth

how does global migration promote economic growth

• the GDP and tax base of the host nation can be boosted by working migrants

• migrants as consumers can stimulate local economies in a host country, even opening up new markets in demand for food, clothing, music, etc. (flow of ideas)

• migrants can fill skill gaps and shortages in the labour market of a host country at local and national scales

• migrant remittances can supplement household income, stimulate consumption, provide funds for local investment and stimulate local multiplier effects in the country of origin of the migrants (flow of money)

how does global migration promote development

• skills and knowledge acquired by returning migrants can be of benefit to countries of origin (flow of ideas)

• migrants can create networks that ease flows of skills, financial resources, values and ideas through their links to diaspora associations, including professional, business, social and religious networks (flow of ideas)

• UN ‘migration and development’ projects between partner countries are involving families, local authorities, and public and private service providers in effective ‘bottom-up’ approaches to development

• flow of technology used to identify where most support is needed in crisis areas for refugees

how global migration causes inequalities

• countries of origin can lose a proportion of the youngest, most vibrant and fittest element of the labour force. this may contribute to a downward economic spiral at local, regional and national scales

• often it is the better educated who migrate. this represents a ‘brain drain’ and loss of human resources in the country of origin (flow of ideas)

• migrant remittances can increase inequality between families who receive them and those who do not (flow of money)

how global migration causes conflicts

• social conflict can develop between host communities and ‘newcomers’; people of a particular culture or ethnic origin may find it difficult to integrate, perhaps because of language

• immigrant populations can be perceived to place pressure on service provision such as education, health and housing in the host country, causing animosity from locals

• international borders can be areas of conflict for border control authorities, traffickers and illegal migrants. lack of technology can make this more difficult

how global migration causes injustices

• migrants are vulnerable to violation of their human rights as a result of forced labour, exploitation of women and children, and human trafficking

• treatment of asylum seekers can include being held in detention centres, not being allowed to work, and being allocated meagre financial resources for food, sanitation and clothing for the duration of application

• refugees experience injustices in terms of shelter, food, water, medicines and safety, including the possibility they may have to return to their country of origin where risks are high (can be due to lack of technology to identify where needs are highest)

international migrant stock

the number of people born in a country other than that in which they now live - this includes refugees

impact of economic globalisation on inter-regional migration

• migration of highly skilled workers (graduates, technology and science experts) from China, India and Brazil to the USA

• also, migration of workers from countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to the oil-producing Gulf States, e.g. Saudi Arabia, attracted by a high demand for labour and a free flow of remittances

impact of economic globalisation on intra-regional migration

• an increase of the international migrant stock among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states with flows of low-skilled workers from countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar to the fast-growing economies of Thailand and Malaysia

• increased migration within South America to countries such as Argentina and Chile, which can offer more employment opportunities and higher wages than the source areas

• return migration flows within the EU as young workers who took low-skilled jobs in another country return home with a higher level of skills to more prestigious jobs

impact of economic globalisation on internal migration

• internal migration flows occur, for example, within EDCs such as India and Brazil, where economic development is concentrated in core areas, often large urban centres

young workers

• young workers are attracted by more employment opportunities, higher wages and a better quality of life

• the demand for labour in the oil-producing countries of the Middle East has resulted in young-labour-driven migration

• an example is the migration of large numbers of young male construction workers from India to Saudi Arabia

female migrants

• 51% of all migrants in developed countries were female in 2019, particularly in Europe, Latin America and North America

• the growth is partly the result of greater independence, freedom and status of female migrants

• increasing numbers of highly skilled women are migrating, particularly from Africa and Latin America

• also increasing is the number of female migrants from India and China to countries such as Canada, the USA and the UK, where there is less discrimination in the labour market

conflict and persecution have increased numbers of refugees

• the effects of conflict (reduced personal safety and destruction of property)

• political persecution

• economic hardship

• the impacts of natural hazards

flows of migrants in South-South corridors

• in 2021, South-South international migration flows were greater than South-North flows

• as global economies have become more interconnected, the flows of South-South migrants have risen dramatically against the established pattern of migration from less developed countries in the South to more developed economies in the North

• as with South-North flows, some of the increase is due to labour migration and the flow of refugees escaping conflict

• restrictive administration barriers for migrants from the South to the North

• a number of fast-growing economies in the South

• an increase in the awareness of opportunities in countries in the South

• the increased costs of moving long distances from the South to the North

changes in national immigration and emigration policies

• migration policies are put in place by individual countries to meet their specific requirements and political needs. the motivations may differ

• in ACs, there may be more protectionist measures and migrants may only be accepted if they satisfy a certain skills requirement within the host country, for example the UK has a points system which favours highly skilled workers and those needed to fill gaps in the UK labour market

• some EDC/LIDC countries have a policy that encourage emigration. Pakistan, for example, promotes emigration and helps to safeguard migrants. the remittances sent back are important to the Pakistan economy as they increase spending power

development of distinct corridors of bilateral flows

• a bilateral migration flow is a movement of migrants between two countries

• one of the largest examples and most long-standing is that between the USA and Mexico

• influences include: close proximity reducing the cost of travel, ease of access, ease of sending remittances, employment opportunities and higher wages, the push effects of conflict or persecution, cultural or historic factors such as language and former colonial influence