Migration The Movement of People Migration Movement from

Migration The Movement of People

Migration /Movement from one place to another on a long-term or permanent basis. /Immigration: Movement INTO a place. /Emigration: Movement FROM a place.

Terminology /External Migration: Movement across country borders. /Ex: Moving from Canada to the Australia. /Internal Migration: Movement within a country’s borders. /Ex: Moving from Kingston to Vancouver.

Why Do People Migrate? /Migration can either be voluntary or involuntary… /Forced migration involves one group of people causing another group to move. /Voluntary migration involves a migrant making their own decision (whether rational or not) to relocate.

Forced Migration /A prime example of forced migration is the Atlantic slave trade. /Tens of millions of Africans were taken (unwillingly) from their homes and sent to South America, the Caribbean, and North America to be used as slaves.

Atlantic Slave Trade /Huge numbers of people lost their lives during travel or were sold into slavery upon arrival. /Estimates of the number of people sold run anywhere from 12 million to 30 million - there is no way to really know the true number.

Atlantic Slave Trade /The impact of this forced migration can still be seen today… /African cultural influences still exist in parts of Brazil. /Some African civilizations were lost in transition. /Indigenous populations in the Caribbean have diminished as the majority of people are now African-Caribbean.

Other Examples… /Convicts were shipped from Britain to Australia (approx. 1788 -1838). /Canadian government took land from Native groups and moved them to reserves (1800 s). /USSR (Stalin) forced non-Russians to move to Central Asia & Siberia (1920 s, 1930 s). /Nazis forced Jewish people to move from controlled parts of Western Europe (WWII).

Forced Migration Today? /Mostly takes the form of expelling or repatriating “illegal” immigrants. /Ex: Hong Kong expels all Vietnamese immigrants, refugee or not. /This process is called countermigration.

Voluntary Migration /Why people migrate is determined by a variety of factors, such as: /Similarities between places - somewhere that has a taste of “home”. /Flow of information - having the ability to remain connected with friends/family. /Distance - generally places closer to “home” are more popular choices for relocation.

Push and Pull Factors /When people make the choice to migrate, PUSH and PULL factors come into play… /Push Factors: The conditions that help people decide to leave a place. /Pull Factors: The conditions that attract people to move to a place.

Push or Pull?

Push! /War and armed conflict usually encourage people to move OUT of a place.

Push or Pull?

Pull! /Access to education is a key reason for migration. /To many people, education equates to higher earning potential and an economically stable future.

Push or Pull?

Pull! /Regardless of whether or not migrants can make a decent living, the potential for opportunity is there.

Push or Pull?

Push! /Famine is a definite push factor - it is life-threatening!

Economic Conditions /Poverty drives many people to move. /If people think they will have better opportunities elsewhere, they may choose to relocate. /Western Europe and North America are both attractive regions due to their perceived economic advantages. /Even though there are not necessarily “good” paying jobs for everyone, the perception is there is more money to be had and to be shared.

Political Conditions /The type of political leader in power can play a huge role in migration. /People flee regimes that they perceive to be extreme and/or dangerous. /In 1975, communists took control of Vietnam, driving many people out.

War Conditions /Many people flee countries engulfed in armed conflicts and wars. /While this may seem forced, people decide to flee to remain safe. /In the mid-1990 s, more than 2 million Rwandans fled to neighboring countries to escape ethnic conflict.

Environmental Conditions /Natural events, like earthquakes, volcanoes, drought, flooding, etc. , can cause people to migrate, whether for short periods of time or permanently. /The potato famine in Ireland in the 1840 s, caused a significant number of Irish citizens to move to the New World; Hurricane Katrina caused many people to move to neighbouring states.

Cultural Conditions /When people fear the loss of their cultural traditions due to a shift in politics, they may choose to relocate. /When Britain divided India (predominantly Hindu) and Pakistan (predominantly Muslim), many Muslim Indians moved to Pakistan. /Political conditions in South Africa in the mid 1990 s caused many white people to move to Australia, Europe, and North America.

Technological Conditions /Migration is no longer as difficult as it used to be; the length and safety of travel are now much improved. /Long, hard boat rides are no longer necessary; now you can take a plane and be there in a matter of hours! /Destination choices are no longer as influenced by distance and ability to communicate as they used to be. /It is much easier to stay in contact with “home” with the help of the Internet.