Migration, Types of Migration, It's Impact explained

Migration

Human Migration is a process of movement in which people move from one place to another in order to live and work with the intention of settling, permanently or temporarily at a new location (geographic region). It’s the movement of people from their home to another city, state, or country for a job, shelter, etc that’s called migration. The movement is often over long distances and from one country to another, but internal migration is also possible. People may migrate as individuals, in family units, or in large groups.

Today, more people than ever live in a country other than the one in which they were born. As of June 2019, the number of international migrants was estimated to be almost 272 million globally, 51 million more than in 2010. Nearly two-thirds were labour migrants. International migrants comprised 3.5 percent of the global population in 2019.

While many individuals migrate out of choice, many others migrate out of necessity. According to UNHCR, the number of globally forcibly displaced people worldwide was 79.5 million at the end of 2019. Of these, 26 million were refugees (20.4 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, and 5.6 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate).  45.7 million people were internally displaced, 4.2 million were asylum-seekers, and 3.6 million were Venezuelans displaced abroad.

Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. Some people move in search of work or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution, terrorism, or human rights violations. Still, others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters, or other environmental factors.

Depending on the goal and reason for relocation, people who migrate can be divided into three categories: migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Migrants are traditionally described as persons who voluntarily change the country of their residence for general reasons and purposes. These purposes may include the search for better job opportunities or healthcare needs. This term is the most generally defined one as anyone changing their geographic location permanently can be considered a migrant.

Migration is not always voluntary. Forced migration has occurred throughout the centuries, and when people are made to leave a location or face severe consequences.

A person who moves from their home because of a natural disaster or civil disturbance may be described as a refugee or, especially within the same country, a displaced person. The reasons for the refugees' migration usually involve war actions within the country or other forms of oppression, coming either from the government or non-governmental sources. Refugees are usually associated with people who must unwillingly relocate as fast as possible; hence, such migrants will likely relocate undocumented.

Asylum seekers are associated with persons who also leave their country unwillingly, yet, who also do not do so under oppressing circumstances such as war or death threats. They are seeking refuge from political, religious, or other forms of persecution. The motivation to leave the country for asylum seekers might involve an unstable economic or political situation or high rates of crime. Thus, asylum seekers relocate predominantly to escape the degradation of the quality of their lives.

Human migration excludes such movements as nomadism which is a way of life of people who do not live continually in the same place but move cyclically or periodically. It is distinguished from migration because migration is noncyclic and involves a total change of habitat. Temporary movement for travel, tourism, pilgrimages, or the commute is also not regarded as migration, in the absence of an intention to live and settle in the visited places.

Types of Migration

Migration could come in different forms depending on the nature and the reason for the movement.

The first and the most common classification of migration refer to the nature of the movement. This would include immigration and emigration. Immigration refers to the movement of persons or populations to another country. Emigration, on the other hand, refers to the movement of persons or populations from one country. For example, the immigration of Filipinos to the United States and the emigration of Indians from India.

The second classification of migration refers to permanence. Under permanence, we have permanent, temporary, voluntary, and forced. Permanent migration refers to the movement from one area to another without plans of returning to the place of origin. Temporary migration refers to the migration done in a limited time. Forced migration involves migrants leaving without any choice. Voluntary migration is the opposite of forced migration.

The third classification of migration refers to the nature of the location. Under such classification, we have internal and international.

Internal migration: This refers to a change of residence within national boundaries, such as between states, provinces, cities, or municipalities. An internal migrant is someone who moves to a different administrative territory.

International migration: This refers to the change of residence over national boundaries. An international migrant is someone who moves to a different country. International migrants are further classified as legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, and refugees. Legal immigrants are those who moved with the legal permission of the receiver nation, illegal immigrants are those who moved without legal permission, and refugees are those who crossed an international boundary to escape persecution.

Forced migration: Forced migration exists when a person is moved against their will (slaves), or when the move is initiated because of external factors (natural disaster or civil war).

1. Gross migration refers to the total number of arrivals of immigrants and the departures of emigrants from a country.

2. Net migration refers to the difference between the total number of people coming in and the sum of people living out. It could also refer to the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants.

3. Impelled migration refers to the movement of people from a country or area because of unfavorable instances.

4. Step migration refers to the progressive migration from a shorter distance to a farther destination.

5. Chain migration refers to a series of migrations by which immigrants from a particular area follow others from that area to a particular destination. The destination may be in another country or in a new location within the same country.

6. Rural-urban migration refers to the movement of people from rural areas to a specific region in the urban area of a country. This could be brought about by the presence of better opportunities for work in the urban areas.

7. Interregional migration refers to the movement of populations from one region to another region in a country.

8. Intercontinental migration refers to the movement of people between and among different continents. For example, people from Asia would move to Europe.

9. Intracontinental migration refers to the movement of people between and among countries within the same continent. For example, people from Thailand would move to Japan. Both countries are found in Asia.

10. Seasonal migration refers to the movement of people or animals due to climate or seasonal reasons. For instance, some people would move to another place in order to plant crops or harvest. Animals, on the other hand, would migrate to prepare for the winter season.

11. Return migration refers to the return of people to their country of origin after leaving the country to which they went.

Migration types can be classified according to a range of criteria:

1. 1. Migration Based on Distance

1. Local-scale: Moving house to another within a town or city
2. Regional-scale: Migrating within a country from one county/state to another
3. International scale: Migrating from one country to another (emigration/immigration)
4. Global-scale: Migrating between distant continents.

2. 2. Migration Based on Duration

1. Daily: Commuting to and from work each day often resulting in ‘rush hours’
2. Seasonal: Winter snow-sport enthusiasts to the Alps; Summer sun-seekers to the Mediterranean; nomadic herders to fresh grazing pastures.
3. Medium-term temporary: Working in an overseas TNC branch office for a few years; taking up a university course; and working in a developing city to pay off rural debts.
4. Permanent: Emigrating to another country with no intention of returning.

3. 3. Migration Based on Motive

1. Forced (Environment): Fleeing a region of drought/flood/desertification/eruption
2. Forced (Political): Threats to freedom, safety, and liberty due to religious, ethnic, racial, or political persecution, conflict, or war. (Leads to Refugees and Asylum-Seekers)
3. Collective Behaviour: Moving as part of an identified group to maintain group cohesion (Traveller communities, nomadic groups, ethnic groups)
4. Personal Aspiration: Desiring an improved standard of living for yourself or your family through gaining economic and social benefits; Economic migrants.
5. Personal Well-Being: Migration for health reasons (retirees to Florida), or perceived quality of life (relocating to rural areas for a less frenetic pace of life)

Some key migrations affecting the geography of contemporary regions:

• Rural-Urban migration in developing economies results in rapid urbanization.
• Suburbanization and Counter-urbanisation from the cities of mature economies lead to urban sprawl or diffusion of urban characteristics into the rural-urban fringe.
• Refugee migrations from areas of conflict in the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan)
• Economic migrations between areas of highly contrasting economic situations (from North Africa to Europe, from Mexico to the USA)
• Tourism migrations as more people have disposable income to spend on travel and leisure.

Impacts of Migration

Human migration affects population patterns and characteristics, social and cultural patterns and processes, economies, and physical environments.

Human migration affects population patterns and characteristics because when more people move into a country or move out, the population will either increase or decrease and other changes happen depending on what kind of people move into certain countries. Social and cultural patterns are affected because when people with different cultures move into a country, either they could be influenced by the cultures of that country, or they could influence others who have already been living there.

The exposure to different cultures and races is a positive but sometimes it can also be negative. It can divide a community, as there’s such a diverse group of people who do not all speak the same language or have the same beliefs.

Jobs being given to people who have migrated from another country can cause conflict. As people who are originally from the country are left unemployed and people who have migrated are employed instead.

Migration is becoming a very important subject in the life of cities. Many opportunities and attractions of big cities pull large numbers of people to big cities. Migration can have positive as well as negative effects on the lives of the migrants.

Positive Impact

1. Unemployment is reduced and people get better job opportunities.
2. Migration helps in improving the quality of life of people.
3. Cultural diversity increases. It helps to improve the social life of people as they learn about new cultures, customs, and languages which helps to improve brotherhood among people.
4. The migration of skilled workers leads to greater economic growth in the region. It boosts as more money is coming into the country.
5. Children get better opportunities for higher education.
6. The population density is reduced and the birth rate decreases.
7. Workers will work for low wages and are prepared to do jobs that local people do not want.
8. Government tax revenues increase.
9. Public services can benefit from an influx of qualified staff, e.g. doctors and nurses.

Negative Impact

1. The loss of a person from rural areas impacts the level of output and development of rural areas.
2. The influx of workers in urban areas increases competition for jobs, houses, school facilities, etc.
3. Having a large population puts too much pressure on natural resources, amenities, and services.
4. It is difficult for a villager to survive in urban areas because in urban areas there is no natural environment and pure air. They have to pay for each and everything.
5. Migration changes the population of a place, therefore, the distribution of the population is uneven.
6. Many migrants are completely illiterate and uneducated, therefore, they are not only unfit for most jobs but also lack basic knowledge and life skills.
7. Poverty makes them unable to live a normal and healthy life.
8. Children growing up in poverty have no access to proper nutrition, education, or health.
9. Migration increased the slum areas in cities which increased many problems such as unhygienic conditions, crime, pollution, etc.
10. Sometimes migrants are exploited.
11. Migration is one of the main causes of the increasing number of nuclear families where children grow up without a wider family circle.
12. Racial tensions and discrimination arise.
13. Local people can miss out on jobs due to increased competition from migrants.
14. Gender imbalance can be seen cause usually, men are more likely to migrate.

As people move, their cultural traits and ideas diffuse along with them, creating and modifying cultural landscapes.

• Diffusion: The process through which certain characteristics (e.g., cultural traits, ideas, disease) spread over space and through time.
• Relocation Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc. that move with people from one place to another and do not remain in the point of origin.
• Expansion Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc., that move with people from one place to another but are not lost at the point of origin, such as language.
• Cultural markers: Structures or artifacts (e.g., buildings, spiritual places, architectural styles, signs, etc.) that reflect the cultures and histories of those who constructed or occupied them.