Migration Analysis: Basic Information: Alfred Otieno Population Studies and Research Institute University of Nairobi
Migration Analysis: Basic Information: Alfred Otieno Population Studies and Research Institute University of Nairobi
Migration Analysis: Basic Information: Alfred Otieno Population Studies and Research Institute University of Nairobi
Basic Information
Alfred Otieno
Population Studies and Research
Institute
University of Nairobi
Migration Issues
1. Types of Migration
What are the major forms of migration?
2. Selective Migration
Why migration can be considered as a selective process?
3. Brain Drain
What is the extent of movements of skilled labor?
Types of Migration
Emigration and immigration
A Problems or
benefits?
Emigrant
Change in residence.
Relative to origin and destination.
Requires information
People and conditions.
Two different places.
Two different times.
Duration
Immigrant
Problems or
benefits?
Permanent.
Seasonal / Temporary.
Choice / constraint
Improve ones life.
Leave inconvenient / threatening
conditions.
Types of Migration
Gross migration
Immigration
Emigration
Gross migration
Total number of people coming in and
out of an area.
Level of population turnover.
Net Migration
Difference between immigration (inmigration) and emigration (outmigration).
Positive value:
More people coming in.
Population growth (44% of North
America and 88% of Europe).
Negative value:
More people coming out.
Population decline.
Net migration
Types of Migration
International Migration
Emigration is an indicator of economic and/or social failures of a
society.
Crossing of a national boundary.
Easier to control and monitor.
Laws to control / inhibit these movements.
Between 2 million and 3 million people emigrate each year.
Between 1965 and 2000, 175 million people have migrated:
3% of the global population.
Types of Migration
Internal Migration
Within one country.
Crossing domestic jurisdictional
boundaries.
Movements between states or
provinces.
Little government control.
Factors:
Employment-based.
Retirement-based.
Education-based.
Civil conflicts (internally
displaced population).
Types of Migration
Local Migration
Central City
Suburb
Types of Migration
Voluntary migration
The migrant makes the decision to move.
Most migration is voluntary.
Involuntary
Forced migration in which the mover has no role in the decisionmaking process.
Slavery:
About 11 million African slaves were brought to the Americas between
1519 and 1867.
In 1860, there were close to 4 million slaves in the United States.
Refugees.
Military conscription.
Children of migrants.
Situations of divorce or separation.
Types of Migration
Type
Characteristics
International
National
Local
Voluntary
Involuntary
Selective Migration
Context
Many migrations are selective.
Do not represent a cross section of the source population.
Differences:
Age.
Sex.
Level of education.
Age-specific migrations
One age group is dominant in a particular migration.
International migration tends to involve younger people.
The dominant group is between 25 and 45:
Peak age of immigrants is 26.
Female
Native
Age
Male
Female
Selective Migration
Sex-specific migrations
Males:
Often dominant international migrations.
Once established, try to bring in a wife.
Females:
Mail-order bride:
Selective Migration
Education-specific migrations
May characterize some migrations (having or lacking of).
Educational differences:
21% of all legal immigrants have at least 17 years of education.
8% for native-born Americans.
20% of all immigrants do not have 9 years of schooling.
Foreign students:
Often do not return to their home countries after their education.
Often cannot utilize what they have learned.
Since 1978 some 130,000 Chinese overseas students have returned
while some 250,000 have remained abroad.
Most research-oriented graduate institutions have around 40% foreign
students.
Selective Migration
Immigration and jobs
Related to the economic sector.
High level:
Filling high skilled position in science, technology and education.
Not enough highly trained personnel in the US.
Result in recruiting abroad (see brain drain).
Low level:
Filling low paid jobs (minimum wage) that most people do not want
(agriculture and low level services).
Maintain low wages in low skilled jobs.
Possibility of an informal economy.
Brain Drain
Definition
Receiving country
Brain Drain
Country of origin
Education and health costs not paid back.
Losing potential leaders and talent:
Developing countries lose 15% of their graduates.
Between 15 and 40% of a graduating class in Canada will move to the
US.
50% of Caribbean graduates leave.
Brain Drain
A reverse migration trend
High costs in developed countries.
New opportunities in developing countries.
Part of the offshoring process of many manufacturing and service
activities.
Qualified personnel coming back with skills and connections:
Migration Explanations
1. Push - Pull Theory
What are the major push and pull factors behind migration?
2. Economic Approaches
How can migration be explained from an economic perspective?
Push - Pull
Context
Migrations as the response of individual decision-makers.
Negative or push factors in his current area of residence:
Push - Pull
Intervening obstacles
Migration costs / transportation.
Immigration laws and policies of the destination country.
Economic Approaches
Labor mobility
Labor shortages
High wages
Migration
Surplus labor
Low wages
Remittances
Capital sent by workers working abroad to
their family / relatives at home.
$126 billion in 2004:
$16 billion each year goes out of Saudi Arabia
as remittances.
2nd most important most important source of
income for Mexico (after oil and before
tourism); $22 billion in 2005.
Economic Approaches
(Illegal) Immigration and the welfare state
Welfare policies appear to be promoting illegal immigration.
Welfare:
Creates a disincentive to work among the national population.
Attracts immigrants seeking benefits (e.g. health and education).
Some analysis indicate that low skilled immigrant (illegal or not) cost more
than they bring to an economy.
50
First job
Marriage
Promotion
Life-cycle factors
Migration linked to events in ones life.
People in their 30s are the most mobile.
Education, career, and family are being
established.
75
Loss of mobility
Summary
No one theory of migration can adequately explain this huge
worldwide phenomenon.
Each brings a contribution to the understanding of why people
move.
Refugees
1. Definition
What is a refugee and how one qualifies for this status?
2. Contemporary Evolution
How the refugee situation has evolved in time?
Definition
The United Nations definition
The 1951 Convention Regarding the Status of Refugees and the
1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees:
..... any person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for
any reasons of race, religion, nationality, member of a particular social
group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is
unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection
of that country. .
Definition
Conditions to qualify for refugee status
Political persecution must be demonstrated.
An international boundary must be crossed:
Domestically displaced persons do not qualify.
Definition
Environmental and economic refugees
People who can no longer gain a secure livelihood in their
homelands because of what are primarily environmental or
economic factors of unusual scope.
Sources:
Natural disaster.
Human alterations to the environment; climate change.
Contamination (pollution) of the environment.
Lack of development and opportunities.
Contemporary Evolution
Origins
The first recorded refugees were the Protestant Huguenots who
left France to avoid religious persecution.
About 200,000 at the end of the 17th century.
Went to England, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and
the English colonies in North America.
War-driven refugees:
About 12% of the European population displaced.
Usually could be expected to repatriate after the war ended.
Contemporary Evolution
Post WW II
Change in the patterns of refugee flows:
The majority of refugees are now coming from the developing world.
Contemporary Evolution
Current issues
Refugees are a controversial issue:
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
Red = Origin
Green = Destination