2.a. Young Workers and Female migrants Flashcards
What are the reasons for the migration of young workers?
- Economic opportunities: Young people are often motivated to migrate in search of better economic opportunities, such as higher wages and more job prospects. This is especially true in LIDCs, where youth unemployment rates are often high and job opportunities are limited. Young migrants also send back remittances to family in source countries
- Education: Young people may also migrate to pursue educational opportunities abroad. This can be motivated by a desire to obtain a higher-quality education, to learn new skills, or to gain access to specific programs or courses that are not available in their home country
- Family reunification: Young people may also migrate to join family members who are already living abroad. This can be a way to maintain close ties with loved ones and to build a new life in a new country
- Conflict and persecution: Some young people migrate to flee conflict, persecution, or other forms of violence in their home countries. This is especially common in countries that are experiencing war, civil unrest or natural disasters
- Climate change: Climate change is also emerging as a driver of youth migration. Young people from countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, such as those in low-lying coastal areas or those that are experiencing severe droughts or floods, may be forced to migrate in order to find a safe place to live
E.g. Demand for workers in the oil GCC states, the numbers of foreign born residents in the UAE have increased significantly in the twenty-first century from 2.45 million in 2000 to 7.83 in 2013 and 8 million in 2021.
Saudi Arabia has a similar pattern with a large migrant population: 2.85 million born in India, 1.09 million Bangladeshis and 0.95 million people from Pakistan. The flows were dominated by young males, working mostly in construction and in the oil and gas industries
Almost 11% of Malaysia’s population are migrants (3.5 million people)
What are the reasons for an increase in female migrants?
- Greater independence / freedom of women: Less discrimination in the labour market in some countries; women’s rights better respected in some countries such as USA and UK; more applications for student visas
- Family reunification: Where women and their children join earlier male migrants after they have become established in the host country, perhaps now with accommodation and possible employment in a family run business (fewer intervening obstacles)
- Improved status of women: In some countries less expectation to stay at home and raise children
- Increasing importance of women as main income earners: Access to employment opportunities
- Increase in highly skilled / graduate female migrants: Improved opportunities for female education in some countries; tertiary educated and highly-skilled women fill skills gaps in countries requiring employees in science, engineering and maths
- Improved global governance of migration: Through work of international organisations such as UNHCR and IOM; involved in wellbeing of female migrants
- Increase in number of refugees: Fleeing conflict many refugee migrants involve entire families including women and girls
- Government policy: Emigration policy might positively encourage female participation in overseas employment, this helps to increase benefits for development through migrant remittances particularly for low income developing countries (LIDCs) and emerging and developing countries (EDCs – e.g. Pakistan)
E.g. Countries with the highest number of female immigrants: United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada - Economic opportunities, education, family reunification + Safety and security: These countries are generally considered to be safe and secure places to live, which may be appealing to female immigrants, especially those who are fleeing violence or persecution in their home countries
