Case Study: Mexico to US

Question 1

Facts and figures

Answer 1

• The US and Mexico share a land border of roughly 2000km => try and make the journey across the border
• Estimated that over 1 million migrants each year attempt to cross.
• Many make it, but others are also caught, in 1995 about 850,000 were caught and deported.

Question 2

Push factors from Mexico

Answer 2

• Poor medical facilities - 1800 per doctor
• Low paid jobs
• Adult literacy rates 55% - poor education prospects
• 42,000 violent drugs deaths since 2006

Question 3

Pull factors from US

Answer 3

• Excellent medical facilities - 400 per doctor
• Well paid jobs - GNP = $24,750)
• Adult literacy rates 99% - good education prospects

Question 4

Impacts on US

Answer 4

• Positive:
  + Increases GDP of the country
  + More people paying taxes
  + Mexican culture has enriched the US border states with food, language and music
• Negative:
  + Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons
  + They cause problems in cities due cultural and racial issues
  + Mexicans are seen as a drain on the USA economy

Question 5

Impacts on Mexico

Answer 5

• Negatives:
  + The Mexican countryside has a shortage of economically active people
  + Many men emigrate leaving a majority of women who have trouble finding marriage partners
  + Young people tend to migrate leaving the old and the very young
• Positives:
  + Legal and illegal immigrants together send some $6 billion a year back to Mexico