migration, identity and sovereignty

    Cards (99)

    • Globalisation has led to an increase in both internal and international migration
    • As of 2014, 230 million people lived in a country that wasn't their place of birth (approx. 3-4% of the global population)
    • Reasons for increase in migration

      • Advancement of transport networks to allow people to travel easily to other countries
      • Rise in global trading
    • Most international migration is regionalised, like Mexicans to America or Poland to Germany
    • Uneven economic growth

      May be linked originally to a natural advantage over other countries, such as a coastline or raw materials
    • Initial imbalances in economic growth

      Have been exaggerated over time due to the outflow of migrants, resources and investment
    • The number of people migrating internationally has risen rapidly and from 1950 to 2015, the global population grew rapidly from 2.5 billion to 7.3 billion
    • In the 1990s, international migration occurred mainly to world destinations like New York and Paris. Now, many cities in developing countries (e.g. Mumbai and Lagos) have become major hubs for migration
    • Japan
      • Population is declining
      • 27% are aged 65 and over
      • Working age population expected to drop to 44 million by 2037, half of what it was in 2007
      • Only 1.7% of population are immigrants (compared to 5% in most advanced economies)
      • Requires 17 million migrants by 2050 to maintain 2007 population levels
      • Migration limited due to Japanese not being an international language and closed-door policies
    • Australia
      • Immigration policy strictly based on skills and employment
      • 70% of immigrants came to work in areas with skills shortages
      • Immigrants contribute 10% more per capita than non-immigrants
      • Ageing population balanced by young migrants
      • Only 190,000 economic migrants allowed to enter in 2013
    • Singapore
      • Population consists of a very high percentage of foreign workers
      • Great ethnic diversity
      • World's 4th largest financial centre with many TNCs
      • Many international schools to cater to migrants
    • Causes of international migration

      • Voluntary economic migration
      • Refugees
      • Asylum seekers
      • Environmental refugees
      • International students
    • The flows of international migration will continue to change over time, as environmental, political and economic events occur and a country's development improves or declines
    • Rationale for encouraging migration

      • Ensures economic output is optimised
      • Allows free movement of goods, capital and labour
    • Rationale against encouraging migration

      • Concerns over national culture and identity
      • Fears of job losses for locals
      • National security concerns
    • Opportunity to migrate

      • Depends on government policies, physical environment, and migrant's education and skills
      • Australia restricts migrants to mainly skilled individuals
      • Singapore divides migrants into foreign workers and foreign talent
      • Rise of smugglers means migrants need money to migrate illegally
    • State
      A territory that no other country has power or sovereignty over
    • Nation
      A group of people who lack sovereignty
    • Nation states don't necessarily have a single culture or language, and the borders (both physical and political) between states are often contested
    • Cultural unity within a state

      • Can result from historic migration or a single ethnic group due to physical location or political forced isolation
    • Establishing national borders

      • Natural borders like lakes, mountains or rivers
      • Colonial or political intervention that may not account for differences between religious or ethnic groups
    • Contested border examples
      • Ukraine and Crimea
      • Taiwan
      • Syria and Iraq
    • Between 1500 and 1900, many European powers had built global empires
    • By 1880 Britain controlled a third of the world's land surface and over a quarter of the world's population
    • Reasons for disintegration of European empires

      • High cost of war left UK almost bankrupt
      • Growing resistance to foreign rule and rise of independence political groups
      • Rapid population growth
      • European countries becoming less dependent on raw materials from colonies
    • Global empires
      Newly discovered South America was invaded and colonised by the Spanish whilst the UK, France and Belgium colonised parts of Asia and Africa
    • British culture spread across South Asia
      • Through local governance and education, controlled by the UK
    • Many previously-colonial states now have the Union Jack within their own flag
    • Reasons for the disintegration of empires following World War 1

      • The high cost of war had left the UK almost bankrupt
      • There was growing resistance to foreign rule and the rise of independence political groups
      • Rapid population growth was a major problem for the UK government
      • European countries were becoming less dependent on raw materials from their colonies
    • Some independent states (Vietnam, Sudan, etc) were left unable to successfully govern themselves, which has lead to many conflicts and wars following the end of the Imperial Era
    • British Nationality Act 1948
      Gave all commonwealth citizens an equal right to legally settle in the UK
    • Many employers filled skills gaps with commonwealth migrants, such as in the London Underground and the NHS
    • Migrants accepted

      • Skilled migrants worked as healthcare professionals
      • Less skilled workers worked in the manufacturing industries, especially in the textile towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire
    • Cultural clustering

      Commonwealth families moving into the same areas to share opportunities, create networks of family support and to limit their isolation
    • This clustering can be seen today, with the growth of some commonwealth communities becoming important parts of major cities
    • Tax havens

      Locations which offer massive tax advantages to individuals and companies
    • In 2015, it was reported that American companies held $2 trillion overseas in tax havens
    • Tax havens
      Politically stable and have secure banking and legal systems
    • Tax havens can have large economic consequences for other states
    • The taxes paid by businesses are crucial for governments to fund healthcare, education and other public services

      As a result, there are significant impacts if companies use transfer pricing or tax havens, which could stunt a state's development and attractiveness to migrants
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