Strategies to Manage International Migration (Cambridge International IGCSE Geography)

Specification link

This page covers section 6.3.4 of the CIE IGCSE specification .

• 6.3.4- An evaluation of the strategies and techniques used to manage international migration.

Strategies to manage international migration

Spec point — An evaluation of the strategies and techniques used to manage international migration.

• Monitoring and managing the rate of population change in a country is a key issue for any government

• Voluntary migrants bring positive and negative benefits to a country:

  • Positive – boost falling populations and declining economic growth
  • Negative – illegal immigration and fear of migrants taking jobs and housing in the host country

• Many governments try to manage migration to meet the country's changing demographic and economic needs

• Governments can either encourage or discourage natural growth and immigration depending on the circumstances

  • When a country's economy is struggling, immigration rules often become harder
  • Whereas economic booms lead to immigration rules being easier to encourage workers to come to the country

• Successful management of migration needs to:

  • maximise the positive benefits of migration to both the host country and country of origin
  • prevent illegal migration through border controls
  • promote legal migration channels

Freedom of movement

• In areas where people have freedom of movement they can live and work in other countries with few restrictions

• The European Union (EU) has the Schengen area

  • People who are citizens in any of the 29 countries in the area can work, live or study in any of the other 28 countries

Limiting immigration

• Tightening Border Controls

  • Aims to reduce illegal immigration

  • Examples:

    • Physical barriers like the US-Mexico border wall
    • Electronic surveillance and increased border patrols

• Points-based immigration system

  • Allows entry to countries based on skills and qualifications Examples:

    • The UK’s post-Brexit points-based system prioritizes high-skilled workers
    • Australia's system awards points based on skills, experience and qualifications

• Work visa schemes

  • Provides legal pathways for temporary or seasonal work

  • Examples:

    • EU’s Blue Card for highly qualified workers
    • UK’s seasonal worker visas for agriculture

• Bilateral and multilateral agreements

  • Involves cooperation between countries to manage migration flows

  • Examples:

    • EU-Türkiye deal (2016) to reduce migration into Europe
    • Repatriation agreements between countries

Limiting emigration

• Providing aid to origin countries

  • Migration is often the result of challenging conditions in the origin countries

  • Aid aims to tackle root causes like poverty or conflict.

  • Examples:

    • Development aid to improve living standards
    • Support for education and job creation in origin countries

• Reducing migration of skilled workers

  • The loss of skilled workers is an issue in many countries

  • It impacts on the economy and development

  • Examples:

    • Retention incentives for skilled professionals such as increased salaries
    • Restrictions on migration for those who have trained in careers such as medicine

Integration schemes

• Integration schemes

  • These schemes aim to help migrants settle by supporting them to learn the language and understand customs, traditions and ways of life of the destination country

  • Examples:

    • Language and cultural orientation courses
    • Anti-discrimination laws and access to education and healthcare
    • Support finding work and childcare

Effectiveness of strategies to manage international migration

Spec point — An evaluation of the strategies and techniques used to manage international migration.

• The effectiveness of the management strategies is varied

Freedom of movement

• Freedom of movement has both advantages and disadvantages

  • Countries can more easily fill job vacancies

  • Lower paid jobs may be filled by people moving from countries with lower average incomes

  • Boosts tourism which aids the economies of the countries

  • Political tensions may increase:

    • One of the reasons people gave for voting in favour of Brexit (the exit of the UK from the EU) was an end to freedom of movement

Limiting immigration

• Tightening border controls

  • Can be effective in controlling numbers
  • Expensive and controversial—may not address root causes of migration

• Points-based immigration systems

  • Helps fill skill shortages
  • May exclude low-skilled migrants who are still needed in some sectors

• Work visa schemes

  • Provides legal alternatives to irregular (illegal) migration
  • Limited duration—migrants may overstay

• Bilateral and multilateral agreements

  • Can reduce tensions between countries and clearly identify the responsibilities of each country
  • Depends on trust between countries to follow the agreement

Limiting emigration

• Providing aid to origin countries

  • Long-term solution to reduce 'push factors'
  • Outcomes depend on stability in recipient countries

Integration schemes

• As with all strategies, integration schemes have had varied levels of success

  • In some areas they have improved understanding and acceptance between migrants and the local communities
  • The cost of integration strategies is high
  • Local communities may argue the money could be used to support them instead of migrants

Exam Hint A change from the previous specification is a greater emphasis on evaluation. For migration strategies, it is essential that you are able to evaluate the different strategies:

• Are they effective in the short or long term?
• Who benefits and who suffers as a result of the strategy?
• Are there any additional consequences?