Social, Economic and Political Effects of Migration
Economic Effects of Migration (Source Country)
Costs: • Loss of the young adult labour force. • Loss of those with skills and entrepreneurial talents, which may slow economic development. • Loss of labour may deter inward investment by private organisations, increasing dependence on government initiatives. Benefits: • Reduced under-employment. • Returning migrants bring new skills to the country, which may help revitalise the home economy. • Many migrants send remittances home and much of this money is reinvested in the home economy in projects like building and services. • Less pressure on the resources of an area.
Social Effects of Migration (Source Country)
Costs: • Perceived benefits of migration encourage more of the same generation to migrate, which has a detrimental effect on social structure. • Disproportionate number of females left behind. • Non-return of migrants causes an imbalance in the pop pyramid. • Returning retired migrants may impose a social cost on the community if support mechanisms aren't in place to care for them. Benefits: • Population density is reduced and younger birth rate decreases, as it is the younger adults who migrate. • Remittances sent home by economic migrants can finance improved education and health facilities. • Returning retired migrants increase social expectations of the community e.g. demand for leisure facilities.
Economic Effects of Migration (Destination Country)
Costs: • Costs of educating the migrants children. • Over-dependence of some industries on migrant labour e.g. construction industry UK. • Much of the money earned is repatriated to the country or origin. • Increased numbers of people add to the pressure on resources, such as health services and education. Benefits: • Migrants tend to take up less desirable jobs. • Host country gains skilled labour at reduced cost. • Skills gap that exists in many host countries is filled by qualified migrants. • Costs of retirement are transferred back to the source country.
Social Effects of Migration (Destination Country)
Costs: • Dominance of males is reinforces, especially where status of women is low. • Aspects of cultural identity are lost, particularly among 2nd generation migrants. • Segregated areas of similar ethnic groups are created, and schools are dominated by migrant children. Benefits: • Creation of a multiethnic society increases understanding of other cultures. • Influx of new and revitalised providers of local services. • Growth of ethnic retailing.
CASE STUDY: Poland
Migrants came to the UK as asylum seekers for a better quality of life. Poland joined the EU as part of the A8 countries (8 poorest countries) in 2004. By July 2006 447,000 migrants had moved to the UK from Eastern Europe, 60% were Polish. • Better employment rates in UK (5.1) compared to Poland (18.2). Jobs British aren't willing to do which are unskilled are taken by the Poles. • Poles contribute to 0.5-1% of GDP in Britain. £2.54bn is put into the economy by eastern Europeans. • Pop structure will be ageing because migrants come here at their most fertile, productive years (80% of migrants are age 18-35) so they reproduce here and stay. If migrants boost the fertility rate and return home there will be a positive net migration balance, because they will not contribute to the ageing population as they will leave before they enter that age bracket. • Conflict between old settlers and new migrants e.g. territorial, stereotype. Poles taking jobs.
