Demography - Migration

• Internal migration= the movement of persons within a country or state, from one region to another.
• Emigration= the process of leaving your country to settle and permanently reside in another.
• Immigration= the process of persons moving from their country to settle and permanently reside in another.
• Net migration= The difference between the number of people who emigrated and immigrated from a given country or state in a given year.
• Between 1900 and 1945 Irish citizens were the largest group of immigrants to the UK.

  Eastern and Central European Jews made up the second largest group of immigrants to the UK.

  North Americans were the third largest group of immigrants to the UK.
• Since the EU referendum in 2016 net migration of EU citizens continues to fall, but net migration from the rest of the world is rising.
• From the 1650s to the 1980s the UK, generally, had negative net migration. More people left the UK than arrived in it

  Since 1900 the most common destinations for emigrants are Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada and South Africa.
• Why do people migrate?

  1. Economic reasons.

  • Employment opportunities
  • available resources
  • escaping poverty

  2. Escaping conflict

  • political situations
  • war

  3. Higher standards of living.

  4. climate.

  5. Family.

  6. Educational factors.

  7. Globalisation.
• Push-pull theory suggests that there are two main causes of immigration. Push factors (push) which encourage people to leave their home countries and pull factors (pull) which attract them to other places
• Migration has an affect on the native population

  • Changes to population size.
  • Changes to age structure.
  • The dependency ratio.
  • Multiculturalism and greater diversity.
• Changes to population

  • The UK population is growing as a result of its positive net migration.
  • Birth rate is also contributing to the growing population, but the birth rate remains highest among non-UK born mothers.
  • Without net migration the UK population would be shrinking.
• Changes to age structure

  • Direct impact
  • Migrants tend to be younger; their arrival to the UK brings the average age of the UK down; in 2019, 70% of migrants to the UK were aged 24-64.
  • Indirect impact
  • Being younger means they are probably more fertile, and able to have more children; also, being younger means they have more time in which to have children.
• Push

  • Escaping conflict.
  • Escaping persecution.
  • Economic factors (employment opportunities; escaping poverty).

  Pull

  • Educational factors.
  • Standard of living.
  • Climate.
  • Family.
  • Economic factors.
• The Dependency Ratio

  • Immigrants tend to be of a younger age and this decreases the dependency ratio.
  • Immigrants who retire tend to return to their native country, further decreasing the dependency ratio.
  • Immigrants, however, have more children than UK women, and this increases the dependency ratio.
  • Once these children reach working age, the dependency ratio decreases again.
  • Groups who have been settled for longer periods of time have fertility rates closer to the national average decreasing the dependency ratio.
• Multiculturalism and diversity

  • Greater ethnic and age diversity than ever before.
  • Food, culture, language, media, education etc. have all been affected by migration.
  • Family structures are also affected.
• Economic migrants move from one country to another to seek economic opportunities, and can return to their native countries as and when they wish to.
• Asylum seekers/refugees are fleeing their home country due to conflict and/or persecution, and do not have the option to return.
• Types of Migration

  • Economic migrant.
  • Refugees/asylum seeker.
  • illegal migrant.
  • Forced migrants.
  • students.
  • Spouses.
  • Permanent settlers.
  • Temporary workers.
• The Differentiation of Migration

  • Prior to the 1990s immigration to the UK was mostly from former colonies and members of the Commonwealth.
  • These citizens settled and formed small, stable communities in different geographical areas of the UK.
  • Vertovec (2007) argues globalisation has led to 'super-diversity'; there are now more migrants from a wider range of countries widely dispersed throughout the UK. There may also be other religious and cultural divisions within ethnic groups.
• The feminisation of migration

  • Historically migrants were typically men.
  • Today, approximately half of all global migrants are women.
  • 'The globalisation of the gender division of labour'
  • Female migrants are often fitted in to patriarchal stereotypical such as service roles, domestic roles and providers of sexual services.
  • Ehrenreich and Hochshild (2003) argue this is because:
  • The expansion of service roles which traditionally employ women.
  • Western women have joined the labour force.
  • Western men remain unwilling to perform domestic labour.
  • The failure of the state to provide adequate childcare.
• Migrant identities

  • Migrants and their descendants may develop 'hybrid identities' made up from many sources; their native countries cultures, religious traditions and ethnic differences may shape their identity and create a sense of belonging.
  • Globalisation has created even more diverse migration patterns and contributes further to these 'hybrid-identities'.
• The politicisation of migration

  • All countries have immigration policies in place in an attempt to control and manage migrants.
  • Migration has become a political issue.
  • Migration as a security concern post 9/11.
  • Brexit.
  • The cost to public services.
  • Housing.
  • The rise of nationalism.
  • Some countries have policies where immigrants are encouraged or required to demonstrate the language, culture and values of the host country, to make them 'fit in' and 'like us'.
• The politicisation of migration

  • Eriksen (2007) argues policies which encourage assimilation are faced with the issue that migrants are not typically willing to abandon their identity and culture.
  • Multiculturalism will occur and migrants will retain their separate cultural identity, however, the host country may only superficially accept these cultural differences.
  • shallow diversity.
  • Deep diversity.
• The politicisation of migrants

  • There was an acceptance of multiculturalism in the UK since the 1960s, but since 9/11 there is a political shift towards assimilation.