Migration

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another.

There are two main types of migration, internal migration and
international migration. This essay will enfold in two parts, first it will
include the causes as to why people migrate from one place to
another that is

from rural to urban areas, and the second part

converses the effects of migration on the emigrate location.

The causes of migration evolves from the desire for better living
standards, environmental factors and political instability in emigrate
country. Firstly, many citizens migrate in search for better standard
of living and employment. This factor relates to the countries with
lack of jobs and opportunities that hinder personal development
therefore it brings about changes in attitudes towards internal and
international migration. Research according to Irish Times, 2009,
shows that some forty (40) percent of those aged 18 to 24 feel they
are likely to emigrate for better job [while] fifteen (15) per cent
say they do not know what they will do, clearly this signifies that
job opportunities are a pull factor towards migration. Moreover,
Abernethy, V.D. (2000) research revealed that lack of employment
or entrepreneurial opportunities motivate people to migrate to
cities. Other living desires include health care facility, a greater
variety of entertainment example restaurants, theme parks to name
a few, and a better quality of education, namely universities. Job
security or cumulated savings are very important in securing a
better standard of living in todays uncertain world. Thus, the main
reason

for

migration

is

the

greener

pastures

and

better

nations

cause

opportunities.
Secondly,

environmental

constraints

in

many

international migration. The environmental constraints can be

highlighted in terms of an agricultural area, where living is
dependent on the unpredictable weather conditions, and in times of

drought, flood, or pestilence the loss on crops are seen has a great
disadvantage. As highlighted by Prasad S. (2010) that in rural areas,
often on small family farms, it is difficult to survive and remain
productive after a catastrophic disaster. Hence in geographical
regions were these risks persist, farmers opt for a safe location and
in most cases opt to migrate. For example, chronic food and water
insecurity

and

epidemic

disease

may

obstruct

economic

development in some nations. In addition, degraded landscape and

rising seas also displace millions of individuals forcing intra and
inter-state

migration

(Parliament

of

Australia

2009).

The

implications of such challenges to human security are difficult to

anticipate but awareness for regional management frameworks and
climate change need to be addressed. Therefore, the type of
environment is another factor that migrants consider which is based
on personal interest.
Moving on, political instability of a country is another factor for
migration. In an instable political situation, citizens are affected with
respect to society. This results in the de-motivation, insecurity,
distraction, depression and so on. Some examples on instable
political situations are,

the recent wars between United States and

Iraq to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein, suicide

bombing carried out by locals in Kuwait, burning religious temples
and coup in Fiji. These conditions increase life threats and hence
force an individual, family or even a colony to move to a different
location, to migrate. Thus, political instability is a major contributor
towards the security of individuals that increase migration.
This essay has considered the causes of migration and will now
consider the effects on emigrate location. Huge migration flow can
have positive and negative effect on the society and can spread to
affect individual communities and the nation as a whole. These
effects are decrease in population, loss of skilled workers and
receipt of remittances.

Equally, decrease in population is an effect of migration on emigrate

location. As the younger population strive towards opportunities and
migrate to other location, they turn to leave a void behind. This void
leads to uneven distribution changes in characteristics of the
population, people with age and elder in the district are a result of
differences between those moving in (in-migrants) and those
moving out (out-migrants). Lee, M.A. 2007. Effects of Migration on
the Elderly Population
in

the

District

of

Columbia,

Population

Reference

Bureau,

Washington,

DC.

Furthermore, another effect is loss of skilled and talented workers,

which result due to migration. The younger and aspiring citizens of
the societies lose out heavily on opportunities and therefore, are left
to continue with common ways and means of doing things. This
closes the door of opportunity to learn exceptional skills and
particular talent. Furthermore, educated and professional people are
definitely regarded as role models and upon the migration of skilled
labourers, this is regarded as brain drain that could be very costly
and have a harmful effect on the donor countries. For example More
than seventy (70) percent of the more than 1 million Chinese
students abroad did not return home after graduation between 1978
and 2006, according to a report by the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences

Facsar,

F.

(2010)

In

accordance

to

which

the

governments invested a lot of money in the training of these

persons, money to this effect is lost when the persons migrate.
Valuable human resources that help keep productivity high and
labour cost low helps strengthen the economies.
Lastly, effect of remittances sent home to relatives. This is one of
the positive effects of migration. Cities are known to be places
where money, services and wealth are centralized. An article by

Grzegorek, V. (2 June 2010) highlights that cities are good

destination for hardworking immigrants as it provides good work,
safe streets, good pay, a decent house and an opportunity to do
more in contrast to farm life. As a result of being highly paid in
cities, they usually send money home for their family and relative
needs. In the recent report,
The Bank of Mexico says remittances for the month
reached $1.8 million, less than a 1 percent increase over
April 2009 Remittances are Mexico's second-largest
source of foreign income after oil exports. Nearly all of
the money comes from the U.S., where nearly 12 million
Mexicans live (Associated Press 2010).
Any foreign income received will increase the money supply in the
nations economy and contribute towards nations infrastructure,
investments and so on. Which later benefit the nation as a whole. It
is easy to see why the government through immigration polices let
their citizens who are trying to make enough money to send back
home to their struggling family, let take chance moving to other
countries.
In conclusion, it is vital to realize there are causes of migration that
have both positive and negative effects on the cities and the urban
areas. The rural to urban migration will continue to escalate due to
the lack of job opportunities, infrastructure, and services in rural
areas. Therefore, any government policy should, at the foremost,
target

these

issues

with

urgency.

Although

the

previous

governments had their own rural development plans, it seems that

it were not adequate to provide sufficient opportunities for the rural
people.

The Irish Times 2009, Lack of jobs brings change in attitudes to

migration, The Irish Times, 24 November 2009, Viewed 3 June
2010.
<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1124/1224259
339338.html>

Prasad S., Personal Interview, 2 June 2010.

Abernethy, V.D. (2000). Population politics: Transaction, New

Brunswick, London.

Facsar, F. 2010,
China's censorship could lead to a brain drain, Living with
Technology, 3 June 2010, viewed on 4 June 2010,
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/06/03/hong.kong.students.go
ogle/index.html?hpt=C2

Grzegorek, V. 2010, Are Immigrants the Solution to Cleveland

Population Problems? Cleveland Scene, 2 June 2010.

Associated Press 2010, Mexico registers 1st remittance increase

since '08, msnbc, 1 June 2010, viewed 4 June 2010,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37452331

Parliament of Australia 2009, Migration Intensification, 11 Sept

2009, viewed on 3 June 2010.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/pubs/ClimateChange/effects/security/
migration.htm