migration notes (en), Appunti di Geografia

Scarica migration notes (en) e più Appunti in PDF di Geografia solo su Docsity! Voluntary & Involuntary Migration Push - pull factors • There are different types of migration: ~ Voluntary ~ Involuntary or forced ~ Internal ~ Political - internally displaced, refugee and/or asylum seekers • Common to all, are the reasons for these movements - push-pull factors • The push factor is the reality of the current situation for the migrant; it is what makes the person consider moving from the place of origin • The pull factor is the perceived outcome: it is what they imagine the move will bring to the place of destination • Push-pull factors are unique to each migrant depending on their end goal - what is a pull factor for one migrant may not be for another These factors can be further divided into: • Social • Economic o Political • Environmental • High levels of unemployment are a push factor, whereas higher wages and a better lifestyle are a pull factor What is migration? • Migration is the movement of people across an official boundary, either internationally or nationally, with the intention of creating a permanent place of residence • The UN defines the term 'permanent' as a change of residence for more than 1 year • Migration has shaped the world of today and has impacted economically, culturally, politically and environmentally • Most people will go through several changes of residence during their lifetime fla Barriers to migration • There are personal, national and legal barriers to migration • Personal barriers include emotional and financial factors, these include: • The cost of migrating: • Closing down costs - selling of home, legal fees etc. • Moving costs - transport, packing and shipping, visas etc. • Setting up costs - renting or buying a home, legal fees, schooling etc. • Emotional costs such as not seeing loved ones again; leaving behind their culture and country etc. • Immigration laws present the greatest legal barrier to migration • National barriers occur at a physical or political level: • Distance between origin and destination • Physical danger • Prevented from leaving a country Voluntary and involuntary migration • Voluntary migration involves the free choice of movement either internally or internationally • The usual reason is economic for work, promotion etc. • In developing countries this is usually internal from rural to urban areas • In developed countries counter urbanisation is more common - urban to rural • Involuntary or forced migration is where the migrant has no choice but to leave their place of origin • This is usually an international movement but can also be an internal movement • The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates 89.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2021, of which 53.2 million were internally displaced people and 27.1 million were refugees, with the remaining 4.6 million seeking asylum There are a number of reasons for internal forced migration: • Natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, floods and droughts • In most cases, survivors will move back home when it is safe to do so, or • Jobs become available again • The biggest reason for forced migration is war and persecution • This includes events such as the Jews fleeing German and Russian troops during the Second World War and more recently the Syrian civil war where more than half of the country's population (13 million) has been forcibly displaced • Ethnic cleansing forces out entire groups or communities from the country - Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East or Rwanda in 1994 where the Hutus attempted to wipe out the Tutsis in 3 months forcing 2 million people to flee • Not all forced migrants leave their country, and these migrants are termed an internally displaced person • The Syrian conflict has created a number of refugee and internally displaced people, as have the conflicts in Afghanistan and Yemen • Major natural disasters can displace people, such as the 2011 tsunami that forced the evacuation of Fukushima in Japan or the recent floods in Pakistan fla