International Migration Flashcards
Different types of migrants
. Refugees- people forced to flee their country and are unable to return ( conflict, persecution or changes to the environment)
. Asylum seekers- people who have fled the country but have not yet had their applications to be recognised as a refugee accepted ( only receive legal protection)
. Economic migrants- people who have moved to another country to work
Push factor
. Environmental
- natural disasters
- desertification
- impacts of climate change e.g. land flooded due to rising sea levels
. Socio economic
- political instability
- lack of jobs
- lack of food
- economic decline
Pull factor
Environmental
- more desirable climate
- better farming conditions
- fewer impacts on climate change e.g. fewer extreme weather events
Socio economic
- better access to healthcare
- better job opportunities and higher salaries
- better schools and universities
- better quality of life
Large scale migration
. Large scale migration has taken place because of conflict e.g over 5 million Syrian people have been forced to leave their country since war began in 2011
Patterns and processes
. Government decisions can be based on how many migrants their country will take e.g. Rwanda asylum plan- sending asylum seekers who arrived illegally to Rwanda ( unlawful)
. Journey can be expensive or dangerous
. Migration takes place on range of timescales- migration can be permanent but many people can move permanently ( economic migrants with seasonal jobs)
Implications for home countries (demographic)
. Large scale migration causes population decline
. Migration can lead to an ageing population as elderly people tend stay while working age people leave
. Males are more likely to leave, leading to gender imbalance
Implications for home countries ( economic )
. Migrants workers may send some of their income back home ( remittances)
. When high skilled people leave, there can be a shortage of qualified individuals - brain drain
Implications for home countries ( political)
. In countries losing their skilled work force, governments might try to discourage workers from leaving or encourage migration into the country
Implications for home countries ( health)
. Shortage of healthcare professionals if many migrate to work elsewhere
. Most vulnerable people left behind while the healthy go to work in other countries- this puts pressure on local healthcare system
Implications from home countries ( environmental)
. If population declines, the environment may improve because of reduced resources exploitation and farming
. However buildings and farmland could be abandoned and there may be fewer resources and less funding for environment management
Implications for home countries ( social)
. Sometimes families are split up
. There may be a change or loss in culture if migrants return with new ideas
Implications for host countries ( demographic)
. Large numbers of immigrants cause population growth
. The population structure can change as most migrants are working
Implications for host countries ( economic)
. Increase in workforce can fill jobs and help grow economy but that means that there aren’t enough jobs to go around
Implications on host country (Political)
. Governments may introduce policies to reduce immigration when there are concerns that too many people are coming into the country
Implications on hits countries ( health)
. Large number of migrants can put pressure on healthcare services particularly if they live in overcrowded, poor quality housing
. Immigrants can spread infectious disease
