The management of international migration: CASE study

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

Over 1900 miles long the border between M and US is one of the longest land borders bet 2 states

653 protected by walls at a cost of $3m per mile - Over 20,000 Border patrol agents (compared to 1500 on US/ Canada border

Estimated 750,000 immigrants make it across each year

2012 approx 34m mexican people in us, 11m of thiese were born in mexico and migrated

2016 estimated 5.5m illegal immigrants from Mexico

DISTANCE DECAY EFFECT - first noticed by Ravenstein

Question 2

Key reasons for Mexican migration to the UK

Answer 2

• underemployment is around 25%
• Mexico GNP per capita = $15,120, US $48,900 PULL
• PUSH Mexico infant mortality 16.7/ 1000, US 6/1000 PULL
• Adult leteracy rate 90%, 99% for US
• Bet 2006-10 more than 20,000 killed in violent drig wars, PULL factor is family reunion due to US having a support mechanism
• povert rates 45%
• Mexican min. wage $5, US $7.25
• Expansion of the Sun belt states e.g. Texas from 1960s onward acted as a sig. lure.
• Agricultural work - 75% are mexican, half of these are illegal

Question 3

Consequences of Mexican migration ECONOMIC

Answer 3

Marxist interpretation of Mexican migration would be that migration results as an inevitable consequence of capitalism and m labourers no longer have their own land

US keeps vibrant with large numbers of of willing low paid workers, which in turn keep prices low and standards of living high

Mexican migrants remit more than $15bn per year back home

Question 4

Consequences of Mexican migration ENIVRONMENTAL

Answer 4

many il/legal immigrants live in one of more than 1400 colonias. Make the border region one of the least healthy e.g. El Cenizo, Texas $3500 per capita

Rapid pop growth on boths sides going into deserts - no water

Border fence itself is said to disrupt migration patterns of larger fauna and birds e.g. Buenos Aires wildlife refuge being destroyed by ‘outlaw trails’

Question 5

Consequences of Mexican migration POLITICAL

Answer 5

• backlash against m immigrants, esp in hard economic times
• Controversial 2012 la in Arizona that would allow police attending any incident to see residency papers and arrest those who were illegal

since 1986 it has been illegal in USA to employ anyone without appropriate documentation

Question 6

Consequences of Mexican migration SOCIAL

Answer 6

• in california nearly 25% of school children have difficulty learning english as a first language
• in Texas &% of the population is believed to be illegal, so contributes little to tax, and costs in medical care
• 34% of residents living in Texas within 25 miles of border are living in poverty, compared to the statewide which is 17%

Question 7

SUMMARY

Answer 7

-Past 40 years there have been strong migration flows which have been tolerated, but since 2001 border regulations got much tougher

Obama signed a bill to give $600m to border enforcement in 2010

UNITNENDED IMPACTS of the policy: more efective policy = riskier crossings

• 20 illegal immigrants killed by border force
• More effective policy means migrants that do make it over more likely to remain in USA rather than risking crossing
• A thriving business in people smuggling has emerged; $3000 per person

IRONY - Mexican side of the border is quite prosperous - more than 3000 maquiladora factories, employing more than 1m people generating 45% of M exports - It benefits from NAFTA aggreement meaning products can be sent to US without a further tax

HOWEVER, border zone factories cannot provide sufficient employment and further force mogratory patterns to the US to look for jobs