The Phenomenon of Migration - Research Paper Example

Teacher’s Introduction: The Phenomenon of Migration Human migration is the movement of people from one place to anotherplace in the planet in order to establishing a permanent or semi-permanent residence, usually across a political boundary (“What is Human Migration?”). Human migrations have occurred throughout the human history, beginning with the movements of the first human group from the East Africa (“What is Human Migration?”) to the different parts of the world. According to information published in 2011 by the International Organization of Migration (IOM), there are about one billion migrants around the world. This number includes 214 million international migrants and 740 million internally displaced persons (“World Migration Report”). Human migration, whether internationally or internally, from one geographical place to another geographical place takes place due to various reasons, which can be categorized into two general factors: pull factor or moving into a place and push factor or leaving a place (“Why do people migrate?”). The pull factors are causes that enforce a country to bring people from other countries, whereas push factors are causes make people leave their own countries. Some of the pull factors are need for additional labor at relatively lower cost for the industrial and infrastructure development of the country, falling birthrates of developing countries, and rapid economic expansion. Different causes that can be noted among push factors are lack of prospects of career development in native countries, poverty and low income in native countries, prosecution and poor human rights, civil war, and natural disaster (“Why do people migrate?”). The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview on the global phenomenon of human migration through the perspectives of historical, political, economic, environmental, and cultural events. Migration Caused by Historical Reasons Spread of religion, search for new lands for human inhabitants may be allocated to the historical reasons causing migration during different periods of human civilization. All three major regions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam reshaped the globe through human immigration. Since the birth of Islam as a religion in 610, the followers of Islam first spread it throughout the Arabian Peninsula, and then to Egypt and other parts of North Africa. Spread of Catholicism by Portuguese and Spanish played role in human immigration during 11th and 12th centuries. Migration of Jewish people from Eastern to Western Europe and then to the United States of America in the 19th century reshaped the ethnicity of the local people of these continents. Thus, religion at different time of human history caused massive population movements influencing the lives and conditions of both local and migrant people. Today, the intersection between religion and migration has become the central topic of contemporary migration debates (“The Phenomenon of Migration”). The historical period of 15th to 17th centuries relates to transoceanic migration. During this time, Europeans, mainly, Portuguese and Spanish took the lead in maritime travels and explored Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Human migration during this time was associated with the colonization of different regions and territories of the world. Colonization contributed to economic boom that created a new form of the migration – slave trade, which was eventually abolished in the mid-19th century. In one sense, slave trade may be contributed to the labor migration. This migration took place from Africa to the new world, mainly to the United States. However, a second wave of labor migrants arrived to these new lands, namely to the USA, Canada, Australia, and Southern Africa from Europe especially from Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal Migration Caused by Political reasons The factors, such as absence of political rights, prosecution, and wars could be related to the political reasons in human migration. Massive European migration to the USA during the period of 17th and 18th centuries predominantly relates to obtaining of greater political and religious freedom. The problems related to political oppression has not ended yet. In many countries, political and religious oppression involving harassment, torture and discrimination exist until this day. The human population who try to move out from their own countries to avoid such oppressions are called political migrants. Political migrants for the safety of their lives try to seek asylum to a more democratic country. They do it by obtaining political asylums. According to the Migration Policy Institute, in 2002, UK received the highest asylum applications: 555,310 or 15 percent of total global asylum applications from different countries. Migration through political asylum was a widespread phenomenon after the World War II when the Central and Eastern European countries became under the influence of the Soviet Union. It is reported that between 1949 and 1961 about 2.2 million people migrated from East to West Germany (“Political Factors in Migration”). National Geographic’s Earth Pulse report states that about 42 million people have been forced to migrate from their own areas of living to other areas. After the World War I, in Central Europe, a great wave of migration took place following the dissolution of Austro-Hungarian Empire. War migrants not only migrate to a new political boundary of another continent but sometimes relocate themselves within the geographical areas of their own continents (“The Phenomenon of Migration”). This was observed in India in 1947 after the division of the country in two different parts based on two dominant religions of the country. Political migration could be permanent as well as temporary. The temporary migrants are called “refugees." It was noted that in 2009, globally there were 15.2 million refugees in different countries (“The Phenomenon of Migration”). Violence and abuse of power in many underdeveloped countries also relate to political reasons that cause mass movement of the local community to more stable democratic countries. Under these circumstances, the people from the affected countries tend to take “refuge” in another country to save their lives. The legal term of “refugee” defines persons whose freedom and lives are threatened in their own countries; these people, on the basis of international conventions, have a right for seeking protection in foreign countries (“Earth Pulse”). This phenomenon is currently seen under the crisis in Syria. According to the term “refugee," the “displaced persons” are not fleeing from prosecution, as it happened during mass immigration of Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries to the USA; but they are fleeing from escalating violence that threaten the lives of the population of a region or the entire country. The refugees in large numbers mostly flee to the neighboring countries and most of the time they are accommodated in camps. This has been observed during many crises in Africa and currently observed in the crisis, in Syria. In Iraq, an estimated two million people have fled to take refuge throughout the Middle East; on top of it, another two million people have been displaced within their own country (Grabianowskii). Migration Caused by Social and Economic Reasons Among the socio-economic factors that push many people away from their native lands may be contributed to poor living conditions, lack of economic perspectives, and the growing gap between the rich and poor classes of the society. The tremendous growth of population in underdeveloped countries, and consequences of environmental catastrophes, such as drought and floods do not provide enough fertile pastures and arable land to satisfy the fundamental requirements of a human being. As a result of it, many leave their homes in search for another place in order to satisfy their very basic needs. According to reports, about two third of current world population live in similar conditions causing threat of migration from their homelands to other neighboring countries. In 1960, the average income of the twenty percent of the top richest population was about 30 times higher than the twenty percent of the bottom poorest population. By the year 1990, this gap has widened to 60 times demonstrating a wide average income gap between population of developed and underdeveloped countries. This phenomenon has caused a massive movement of population of poor countries to the richer countries. Economic stagnation of the country may also become a socio-economic factor causing migratory pressure over the local population. Ex-Soviet Union may serve as an example to explain above stated factor. The former USSR depended mostly on the export of raw materials; falling raw material prices, as well as import restrictions imposed by the different industrialized countries, developed stagnancy in the economic development of the country. The economic stagnancy of the country caused many Soviets to migrate from their homelands to other developed nations. Poor economic growth raises debt absorption of the major part of the country’s economic power. This trend currently can be observed in many developing countries. This trend also brings stagnation of the local economy. Furthermore, lack of economic stagnation brings corruption in the country’s economy making lives harder for the vast majority of the people. Rise of such a phenomenon put migratory pressure on the local community that is very widely recognized in many developing and underdeveloped countries. Migration caused by the advent of technology The advent of technology has developed internet, television, and tourism enhancing attractiveness of migration. The world is becoming more and closer than ever before. This has made the poorer part of the world population aware of the wealth of the rich (“Why People Migrate”). Air travel made traveling easier to industrialized countries. This has opened opportunities to many talented and successful people from poorer countries to immigrate to the industrialized nations. However, an individual immigration is always added by the subsequent immigration of their relatives. In plain language; migration begets more migration. Conclusion It is a fact that since man has been on earth, various ethnic groups have again and again travelled to other regions in the world with the hope to find a better foundation for the existence. This has developed human civilization in different parts of the world. This observation implies that human immigration is a part of human culture and it brings vibrant development of the human city. In these regards, United Aram Emirates can be cited as glamorous, vibrant city that only has two percent of ethnic population. This brief review has described several factors that cause human immigration from one part of the world to other part. Scientist and sociologists have categorized push and pull factors to describe the cause and effect relation of human immigration. Irrespective of push and pull factors, it can be summarized that the world can be turned into a beautiful living place with immigration but without violence. Works Cited “Earth Pulse.” nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/index.html Grabianowski, Ed. How Human Migration works? How Stuff Works, n.d. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/human-migration2.htm “Political Factors in Migration.” ehow.com. Ehow, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. http://www.ehow.com/info_8212756_political-factors-migration.html “The Phenomenon of Migration.” Ifrc.org. International Federation of Red Cross, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/89397/the%20phenomenon%20of%20migration_TYPEFI_final_En.pdf “What is Human Migration?” nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/09/g68/migrationguidestudent.pdf “Why people migrate.” Admin.ch. Federal Administration. Ch., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. https://www.bfm.admin.ch//bfm/en/home/themen/migration_analysen/weltweite_migration.html “Why do people migrate?” embraceni.org. Embraceni, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014 http://www.embraceni.org/migration/why-do-people-migrate/ “World migration report 2011.” publications.iom.int. International Organization of Migration, n.d. Web 07 May 2014. http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/WMR2011_English.pdf Read More