Migration

• China: Causes for rural- urban migration

  • Labour surplus in rural China
  • Rural poverty- reduced- 0.6% live in 'absolute poverty'
  • Agrarian culture- farming and livestock
• China: Push and Pull factors:

  • migration legal in 1984
  • opened up to the outside world- intensified regional disparities
  • states capacity to control migration into the cities has lessened
  • in a city- legal residence entitles permanent job, regular housing, public schooling and public health care
• China:

  • urban residents do not wish to share their relatively high standard of living with rural folk
  • urban infrastructure cannot support a massive inflow of people coming in from the countryside
• Refugee- someone who has been given legal permission to stay in another country
• Asylum seeker- someone who is waiting to be given access into another country
• Europe: Push and Pull Factors

  • War/Conflict
  • Taxes
  • Unemployment
• Patterns of migration:

  • Lots of migration moving into Europe, USA and Australia
• Reasons for Migration:

  • Jobs
  • War/Conflict
  • Education
  • Lack of language barriers
• SINGAPORE:

  • Needed inwards migration-labour shortages since 1990
  • Population built on migration- 5 million foreign workers
  • Centre for TNCs- attracts well qualified people
  • International schools
  • Low tax rates
  • Free trade policy
  • Employment pass- foreign workers well paid $5000 a month- relatively low requirements
• AUSTRALIA:

  • 2023 migration programme has a limit of 190,000 visas- a decrease of 5000 since 2022
  • 72% of these visas are skilled focus
  • Used to help address the issue of an aging population and a lack of skills in a particular skillset
  • Based on a points system
  • Until 1972 there was the 'White Australia Project'- made it difficult for non white people to gain access
  • Strict controlled migration policy
• JAPAN:

  • Limited access of foreign nation
  • 2012- have increases sightly due to ageing population
  • No immigration for unskilled workers
  • closed borders for 2.5 years due to covid
  • 1984- policy for citizenship- only a citizen if you have Japanese blood
  • Must renounce own nationalist if you take up Japanese citizenship
  • Can hold you indefinitely if you do not have permission
  • 2018- 10,493 applications for asylum, only 43 people got it- 0.4%
  • Want to protect Japanese ethnicity- one of the most homogenous in the world
• Diaspora 


  A dispersed group of people with a shared cultural background who have spread internationally from their original homeland
• Sovereignty


  The ability of a place and its people to self-govern without any outside interference
• Complex causes of Migration

  • Most international migrants move for work-related reasons
  • However, in 2020 there was 26 million refugees that were forced to leave their home country- when people flee, the line between forced and voluntary becomes blurred
• Migrants are not often the poorest citizens of the state- they have to have money for the international journey
• THE MEDITERRANEAN:

  • 115,000 coming from Nigeria
  • 1,105,000 migrating to Greece
• Overpopulation


  Too many people compared to the amount of resources and technology negatively affecting the quality of life e.g Bangladesh
• Underpopulation


  A lack of people compared to the amount of resources available. This negatively affects the quality of life e.g. Russia
• Optimum Population


  The amount of people that is best suited for the number of resources, the level of technology in a region, to optimise quality of life. Therefore optimum population is not fixed
• UK: REASONS FOR MIGRATION WITHIN

  • North-South divide
  • De-industrialisation
  • Job opportunities
  • People moving to the coast after retirement
  • London=expensive
  • Brain Drain
  • Regeneration schemes-attract people
• Remittances 


  Money sent back to the source country
• Culture 


  Shared ideologies such as religion and food
• Assimilation


  The eventual adoption of the cultural traits belonging to a host or majority community by a migrant or minority community
• Assimilation: Key points

  • Migration changes the cultural and ethnic composition of states
  • French and Irish migrants in London are sometimes viewed as groups who bring cultural but not ethnic diversity
  • Mot people view ethnic differences as relating to variations in religion or race
  • However, some places assimilate better than others
• Assimilation: Positives

  • Creates a more cohesive cultural identity
  • Reduces cultural conflict
  • Helps immigrants gain more social and economic opportunities
  • Improves communication
• Assimilation: Negatives

  • Loss of cultural heritage
  • Can lead to an identity crisis
  • Can lead to poor mental health- forcing themselves to fit in
  • Doesnt encourage individuality
• US AND MEXICO BORDER

  • Major policy issue
  • 8 million unauthorised workers living in the US
  • Unequal spacial distribution between workers
  • 2017- 11.3 illegal immigrants
  • Decreased since 2012- 12.2 million
  • Strengthened its national operation to deport unauthorised migrants
• US AND MEXICO BORDER

  Economic Impacts:

  • Seen as a vital part of the US's economy growth engine
  • Work long hours for low pay
• US AND MEXICO BORDER

  National Impacts:

  • 9/11- increased security measures
  • Trump wanted to ban all Muslims entering due to fear of them being connected to ISIS
• US AND MEXICO BORDER

  Demographic Impacts:

  • Offsets aging population
  • High birth rate in immigration communities
  • Hispanic population increased from 3 million (1950) to 60 million (2021)
• US AND MEXICO BORDER

  Cultural Impacts:

  • Influence food, music and language
  • Affects US media
• Source country:


  Political Impacts

  • Policies to encourage immigration to counteract outflow
  • Requests for international aid
  • Policies to encourage natural increase can be developed
• Source Country:

  Economic Impacts:

  • Less pressure on resources such as food and social services
  • Brain Drain- loss of younger workforce- slows down economic development
  • Loss of labour may reduce inward investment by private companies, increasing dependency on government initiatives
  • Remittances sent back to the country
  • Upon return migrants bring new skills- can help improve the country's economy
• Source Country


  Social Impacts:

  • Brain Drain
  • Can cause a loss of culture and traditions
  • Decrease dependency ration
  • Population density is reduced and birth rates fall, can help ease overpopulation
  • Remittances can help support infrastructure
  • Returning, retiring migrants may increase social costs on the community
  • Increase in jobs
  • Marriages and families can fall apart
  • Returning migrants may increase expectations
• Host Country


  Political impacts:

  • Discrimination against ethnic groups and minorities which can lead to civil unrest and extremism
  • Calls for control on immigration
  • Entrenchment of attitudes which may encourage fundamentalism
• Host Country


  Social Impacts:

  • The dominance of males is reinforced, especially in cultures where women are of already a low status
  • Influx of new or revitalised services
  • Creation of a multi-ethnic society increases understanding and tolerance of other cultures
  • Segregated areas are created
  • Schools become dominant with migrant children
  • People from other countries can learn new languages, help people develop their skills for working internationally
• Host country:


  Economic impacts:

  • Migrants take up less desirable jobs that need filling
  • The host country can gain skilled labour for cheaper
  • There is a labour surplus- those with skills and education fuel the economy
  • Mirant children must be educated- they wont necessarily speak the language of the host country
  • More people increases pressure on resources and services
  • The 'skill gap' in many host countries can be filled with migrants
  • Overdependency on migrant workers
  • Much of the money earned is sent back- not spent within host country
• linguistic 


  relating to languages
• ICELAND

  • Geographical location makes it difficult to migrate- an island
  • Economy is based heavily on fishing
  • Exports= 2/5 of gross national product
  • 2008-McDonalds closed- high price deterred people
  • 99% of Icelanders are connected to the internet
  • Before 1914 there was a large flock of people to Canada because of harsh conditions
• SINGAPORE:

  • Geographical location means well connected to other countries- lots of trade routes
  • 1926-1946, had a major strategic role as a military and trading hub under British administration
  • After independence had a fast growing GDP-$82000- magnet for migrants
  • Free port- encouraged migration
  • Cultural melting pot