unit two: causes, consequences and management of international economic migration Flashcards
what is an international economic migrant?
a person who moves voluntarily from one country to another to improve their standard of living
what are 3 countries that have a net immigration (imm > em)?
- usa
- uk
- uae
what are 3 countries that have net emigration (em > imm)?
- bangladesh
- mexico
- morocco
what are some push factors that attract people to wealthier countries?
- natural disasters
- lack of jobs
- lack of healthcare
- war/civil conflicts
- crime rates
- political corruption
- lack of education
what are some pull factors that attract people to wealthier countries?
- better access to jobs
- better healthcare
- crime rates
- weather
- better pay
- better healthcare and education
what does diaspora mean?
the movement and spreading of a large number of people from one part of the world to another. in doing so, they transfer their culture with them and establish a new cultural community
how big was the british empire in the early 1900s?
25% of the world’s land surface
how many countries are part of the commonwealth?
52
what was the british nationality act 1948?
gave members of the commonwealth countries to migrate to the uk and vice versa
what was the first commonwealth diaspora?
hms windrush, from the caribbean in 1948 with 492 passengers
how did commonwealth connections lead to a diaspora of diverse communities in birmingham?
- minority majority city
- first wave came from military connections
- thought it would be short-term migration > could build up and save money
- hearing about the opportunities
- environmental push factors
- people were encouraged to move to birmingham
in 2021, which nationality made up the largest migrant population in the uk?
india continued to be the most non-uk birth with polish being the most common non-british nationality
in june 2021, how many non-british born and non-population birth in the uk?
non-british born = 9.6 million and non-population british = 6 million
how many people with eastern europe origin are living in the uk?
1 million
when did the a8 countries join the eu and which countries were these?
2004 - czech republic, estonia, hungary, lithuania, latvia, poland, slovakia and slovenia
between 2004 and 2007, how many economic migrants moved to the uk from eastern europe and how many of these were from poland?
800,000 with 500,000 being from poland
what are the historical links between the uk and poland?
- 16th century polish protestants = study doctrine and tactics of post-reformation church
- 1867 = first polish channel and centre were established in london
- end of 19th century = 3 main centres (london, manchester and lancashire) established
- number of polish migrants severely dropped post WW1 in britain
what were the main occupational groups of polish workers in the uk (2016)?
high number of elementary occupations and process, plant and machine operatives. these are typically not skilled and account for a combined 48% of total polish employment
how many polish migrants were aged 18-44 in 2004?
92%
where are 5 places in the uk that polish workers have moved to?
- london
- birmingham
- herefordshire
- manchester
- norfolk
what are the social/cultural positive impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- creates a diverse community because cultures mix
- brings a wide range of skills
- 80% of migrants are between 18-35, offsetting the uk’s ageing population
what are the social/cultural negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- put pressure on housing, education and healthcare
what are the economic positive impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- contributes to economic growth by an estimated £2.5 billion every year
what are the economic negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- getting a job is competitive
- more people in low skilled and low paying jobs
what are the environmental negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- greenhouse gas emissions will increase
- less green space (used for housing)
what are the political positive impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- change minds about other cultures
what are the political negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for uk?
- tensions between local communities and polish migrants
what are the social/cultural positive impacts of polish migration to the uk for poland?
- easier for women to get jobs
- more space in schools
what are the social/cultural negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for poland?
- “youth drain”/”brain drain”
what are the economic positive impacts of polish migration to the uk for poland?
- many poles send money home = £4 billion per year
- some people come back with more skills
what are the economic negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for poland?
- loss of workers
- lack of skilled labour = economic growth
what are the political negative impacts of polish migration to the uk for poland?
- politicians have to create schemes to encourage people to return
- cant vote from abroad
what are some push factors from poland?
- unemployment was almost 20% in 2004
- incomes were 4 times lower in poland than in the uk
what are some pull factors to the uk?
- desire to live life abroad
- learn the english language
- job vacancies in the uk (construction and farming)
- average british wage is 3x polish wage
why was the policy “powroty” established?
to help poles planning to return to poland
how has brexit affected eastern european migration to the uk?
- since 2017, 450,000 eastern europeans have left the uk
- lower sectors of employment, with less skills have had the greatest losses
why are so many eastern europeans choosing to leave the uk following brexit?
- don’t want to be seen as invaders
- don’t want to raise kids in that environment
- tensions (making comments etc)
- viewpoint of the poles stealing jobs
- increased hate crime = bad mental health
- poles became an easy target (white and christian)
- some attacks
what sectors of the economy are struggling to fill posts following brexit?
an average 10% loss of workers in agriculture, catering and hospitality and meat processes
how did the covid pandemic add to the loss of workers from eastern europe?
- when borders closed, people with seasonal jobs couldn’t come over
- companies/businesses shut down = jobs lost
how many people typically leave bangladesh each year to work abroad?
450,000
what is the gender difference in lose who leave bangladesh?
more men leave then women (95% are men but this is decreasing because their are laws restricting the amount of men leaving)
when and why did the movement from bangladesh to the middle east begin?
1971 and 1973 because of national independence and oil boom
which year did migration from bangladesh to the middle east peak and what was the figure?
2008 > 875,000 migrant workers
what percent of migrant workers go to the gulf states and elsewhere, from bangladesh?
gulf states - 59.1%
elsewhere - 40.9%
apart from countries in the middle east, what other countries are important destinations for bangladeshi workers?
malaysia, usa, india, singapore and mauritus
what are the skill level and types of employment of migrant bangladeshis?
- 2/3 are less skilled or semi-skilled with very few professional
- jobs in temporary labour in the oil industry
- singapore to work in construction
- women move to lebanon, jordan and maurituis to work domestically or as cleaners
what are the economic push factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- 50% of population live off of less that $1.25
what are the economic pull factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- 2016 > the gdp per capita in bangladesh was $3891 vs the uae being £61,873
- more foreign jobs available
- remittances can be sent home
what are the environmental push factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- densely peopled, flood prone delta
- more frequent extreme natural disasters
what are the social push factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- densely populated states = poor living conditions and less houses
what are the social pull factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- more jobs available because there is an increase in demand for foreign labour
- improve their standard of living, for income maximisation of which plays into the marriage and dowry system
what are the cultural push factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- more people = less jobs = cant act as a successful breadwinner
what are the cultural pull factors for bangladeshi migrants?
- can act as a successful breadwinner
- religious value of going to saudi arabia
what are the positive economic consequences for migration for bangladesh?
people working abroad may send money, which would help development
what are the negative economic consequences for migration for bangladesh?
all the working age people are leaving = less people doing jobs in other countries
what are the positive social consequences for migration for bangladesh?
the bureau of manpower, employment and training which helped people develop professional skills
what are the negative social consequences for migration for bangladesh?
- some people were exploited
- more people had unskilled and low income jobs
what was the “overseas employment and migrants act” in 2013?
migrant workers could lodge criminal cases for deception or fraud against recruiting agencies as well as employers
how did the uae become a wealthy country?
in the 1960s, it became a wealthy oil exporting nation. since then, it has diversified its economy developing luxury tourist facilities
how has the demographic changed in the uae?
- the total population has increased significantly from around 800,000 in 1975 to over 8 million in 2010.
- the amount of emirates has not increased rapidly, but the amount of non-emirates has increased significantly
what is the gender ration for the uae and which age group had the most people?
2.2 males to every 1 female with a disproportionately high number of people aged between 20 and 49
what is the kafala sponsorship system?
ties migrant workers to individual employers and severely restricts their rights. this could include making them liable to deportation
how was the kafala system amended in 2010?
now allowed workers to change employers if their current employer fails to comply with “legal or contractual obligations”
where do most international migrants move to the uk?
- south of england, with majority going to london, probably for the capital and the opportunities
- most are in big cities, like manchester, birmingham, liverpool etc
what did the study in may 2010, by the east of england development agency show about the role of migration policy in relation to the future of the cambridge economy?
- restrictions on international migration are seen as seriously unhelpful
- current attempts to cap migration are not welcome
- issuing of visas should be easier
- the highly skilled are drawn to competitive and innovative places to better their career development
what are the arguments for the uk limiting migration?
- puts pressure on housing, healthcare and schools
- more competitive for jobs
- increased amount of greenhouse gas emissions
