H Geography - Human - Population - Impacts of Voluntary Migration

What are advantages for the UK in migration from Poland to the UK?

• Short term gap in labour is filled, many of the migrants are highly skilled engineers or academics

• Migrants take jobs that locals did not want and will work for more competitive wages, thus reducing labour costs

• Migrants will enrich the culture of the area they move into with music, food, and language

• The increased population will result in an increase in tax paid to the government which can be invested in improving local services

What are disadvantages for the UK in migration from Poland to the UK?

• Migrant workers may be discriminated against which leads to increased tensions in communities

• There may be a shortage of affordable housing

• Cost of providing services like schooling and healthcare for the migrant population and their families will increase

• The education system may become strained as some of the children may not speak English as a first language.

What are advantages for Poland in migration from Poland to the UK?

• Pressure on local services such as education, healthcare, and housing is reduced

• Pressure on jobs is reduced so levels of unemployment fall

• The birth rate is lowered so population growth will slow

• Money sent home by migrants will boost the local economy

• Migrants will learn new skills and may return to Poland with them

What are disadvantages for Poland in migration from Poland to the UK?

• The active and most educated population leave which results in a skills shortage in Poland

• Families are divided and death rates may increase due to an ageing population

• Family members remaining in Poland may become dependent on remittances sent home by migrant workers