Causes of Global Migration Flows - Essay Example

Various types of global migration flows around the world today and the role of globalization in producing those flows Overview and causes of global migration flows Global migration occurs when national boundaries are crossed by people for the purpose of staying in another country for a time which is more than the maximum length of time allowed for tourist. Global migration flows are caused by a number of reasons including education and job opportunities available in another country, political conditions in the home country etc. Migrations can be divided into two main categories on the basis of the reasons of migration (Arango, 2000). These are permanent migrations and temporary migrations. The permanent migrations are caused by the intention to cross the national border and to establish a permanent residence in the new country. The permanent migrants also aim at getting the citizenship of the foreign country. On the other hand, temporary migrants have the intention of staying in a country for a specific period of time. For example, temporary migrants may stay in another country for completion of an educational course or for the duration of their job or in particular seasons in which work is available for them in the host country. Different types of migration activities have significant and differentiated impacts on the society and economy of the destination country as well as that of the originating country (Arapoglou, 2006). Types of global migration flows The migration processes are heterogeneous in nature. People from different corners of the world migrate for a number of varied reasons. Four main types of global migration flows can be identified in the modern world. These are the temporary and permanent labour migration, forced migration, International Retirement Migration (IRM) and internal migration. The temporary migrations include two different types of migration like legal and illegal labour migration. Internal migration is most commonly observed in the trends of people moving from rural areas to the urban areas. This trend is also seen in some places for the aim of counter urbanization. Labour migration Labour migration is representative of the movement of various individuals from one part to another part of the globe with the main purpose of seeking employment or any other source of income. This may be in response to the job openings or recruitment drives opened in other countries. Labour migration can be further categorized into two main types on the basis of the type of migrants included in the migration processes. The two main types of migrants are the unskilled and low wage labours including the forced immigrants and the illegal immigrants and the labour groups which are highly skilled (Sayas, 2009). High skilled labour migration The migration of skilled labour accounts for a small percentage of the total global migration flows. This type of migration experiences much demand from the home countries because these countries develop significant incentives to attract more offshore high skilled labour. This is often applicable to specific categories of professions like doctors, nurses etc. The main attraction of this type of labour lies in the efficiency of the host company to attract and accumulate human capital from across border without incurring additional educational or training expenses. This may lead to a loss for the origin country because the phenomenon called brain drain is applicable in this scenario. Brain drain refers to the loss of money invested for training and education as well as the loss of many capacities of one country when the human capital moves out as migrants to other countries Unskilled low wage labour International low wage labour migration is very a common phenomenon noticed in global migration activities. This is main type of migration which has much impact on the economic reconstruction of different economies, especially the industrialized economies. This type of migration includes both legal immigrants and illegal immigrants. Some countries like the United States of America are considered to be very attractive for illegal migrations done in the search of work. The illegal migrants mostly come from countries like Mexico, Canada and some other Latin American countries. Many of these groups of immigrants are composed of people who are very poor. Also, these immigrants are people who are most exposed and vulnerable to human right violations and are often the victims of unjust exploitation provoked by their illegal social status. This type of migration constitutes for the highest percentage of economic migration (Tahntrop, 2005). Forced migration Forced migration forms a substantial part of the global migration flows. This includes refugees as well as asylum seekers who migrate in order to escaped or flee from political repressions or wars. This also includes those people who have been displaced from their places of residence like roads and dams or have become homeless as a result of any kind of natural disaster. The trafficking of human beings, especially children and women trafficked for the purpose of the global sex industry is also a part of force international migration. Some countries like Britain, Scandinavia and the United States are much favoured destinations for such types of migrants (Green, Grove, Evans and Sheik, 2003). Forced migrations may be of different characteristics like education level, income level etc. While students who have been forced to move out of the country because of political involvement may be properly educated, people who have been displaced by different civic wars may have very low educational backgrounds. International Retirement Migration International retirement migration is a type of international migration in which retirement acts a push factor for initiating the migration process. The countries which have pleasant climates are often chosen as destination countries for migration by the retired people who have sufficient disposable money available. Immigrations to the southern European countries are often causes by the phenomenon of international retirement migration. Internal migrations Internal migrations are often concentrated in particular locations. In this type of migration, generally the most common push factor is the desire to move into a place which would provide better living conditions. The economic and social disadvantages related to residing in certain locations are the main reasons that cause the action of internal migration. The patterns involved in internal migration are very complex and can have significant effects on the use of land and other capital resources available in a country. Counter urbanization is also an aspect involved in internal migration in which people tend to move to countryside places to escape from the hustle bustles of city life. Role of globalization in global migration flows Migration has emerged as a globalized issue in the twenty first century. Globalization acts as a facilitator of globalization. Globalization has led to the development of a number of job opportunities in different countries. The prime way in which globalization has caused global migration flows is through the movement of human capital from one country to another for the purpose of employment. Globalization has caused a decline in travelling costs and advancements in communications technologies which has facilitated migratory activities. Globalization plays an important role in creating many disparities in the social conditions, economic structures and the political stability existing between industrialized countries and other countries of the world. The liberalization of trade activities and the increasing amount of capital movements impact people all across the world and act as a positive factor for blurring the international lines when it comes to migration activities. Globalization has helped to create more efficient transnational links among the different countries of the world. Since, migrations for labour purposes form a major part of international migration; therefore, globalization has boosted migration by accelerating the availability of jobs across all corners of the world. Economic globalization has opened up the ways for free flow of information, human capital, goods and services across international boundaries. Therefore, more people move across these networks for various purposes which add to the number of migrants each year. References Arango, J. 2000. Explaining Migration: A Critical View. International Social Science Journal. Vol. 52(8). Arapoglou, V. P. 2006. Immigration, Segregation, and Urban development in Athens: The Relevance of the LA Debate for Southern European Metropolises. Greek Review of Social Research. Vol. 121(special issue). Green, G. M., Grove, J. M., Evans, T. P. & Sheik, C. M. 2003. A Review and Assessment of Land Use Change Models: Dynamics of Space, Time, and Human Choice. [Online]. Available at http://www.colorado.edu/research/cires/banff/pubpapers/20/. [Accessed on 30 July, 2014]. Sayas, J. 2009. New Facets of Urban Segregation in Southern Europe: Gender, Migration and Social Class Change in Athens. European Urban and Regional Studies. Vol. 16(4). Tahntrop, M. 2005. Why landscapes of the past are important for the future. Landscape and Urban Planning. Vol.70 (1-2). Read More