Impacts of Migration (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Impacts on Migrants

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

• The impacts on migrants depend on:

  • Who the migrant is – voluntary, forced, etc.
  • Why they are migrating? Job prospects, fear, etc.
  • Where they are migrating to – urban, internal, etc.?
  • Where are they migrating from – rural, international, etc.?
  • When they are migrating – summer, winter, etc.
  • How they are migrating – on foot, plane, car, etc.
  • Setting up and closing down costs of migrating – selling and buying a home or renting, shipping costs, etc.

• Impacts can have a positive or negative effect on the migrant and their family, with many being similar impacts to all types of migrants

Voluntary international migration

Positive impacts

• Wages are higher with better job security
• A wider choice of job opportunities
• Ability to support wider family with remittances
• Better housing and improved facilities

Negative impacts

• Financial costs are higher
• It can mean separation from wider family and friends
• Problems settling into a new culture
• Exposure to possible ethnic discrimination
• There may be a language barrier
• Regret and homesickness

Voluntary internal migration

Positive impacts

• Change of lifestyle
• Maybe a cheaper cost of living
• Different opportunities
• Urban to rural for extra space
• Rural to urban for job opportunity
• Improved availability of health, social and leisure facilities

Negative impacts

• Unfamiliar surroundings and sense of loss
• Lack of, or informal employment
• Poor or slum housing
• Victimisation and urban poverty
• Regret and homesickness
• Finding and making new friends
• Limited access to facilities; may have to travel to see a health professional

Forced international migration

Positive impacts

• Safety from conflict
• Better opportunities
• Improved education

Negative impacts

• Few job opportunities
• Exposure to discrimination based on ethnic, gender and language barrier
• Abandonment of family, friends, and home
• Housed in camps with overcrowding and risk of disease
• Fatigue and hunger from travel
• PTSD and other long-term health issues from experience
• Lack of money and exposure to exploitation

Forced internal migration

Positive impacts

• Safety from hazards or conflict
• Improved healthcare
• Better opportunities
• Access to facilities
• Better education
• Improved housing

Negative impacts

• Loss of home, family and friends
• Loss of sense of belonging to a community
• Cost of starting all over again
• Anxiety about finding a new home
• Fatigue and abandonment
• The stress of fitting into a new community

Impacts on Origin & Destination

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.065

• The impact of migration on a country's population change is very small
• The only type of migration that would make an impact would be international migration

Impacts on origin

Positive impacts

• Migrants send remittances back, increasing the living standards of families but also the wider community (spread of wealth)
• Chance for some areas to recover due to less competition for space, jobs and/or partners
• Reduction in pressure on healthcare, education services, etc.
• Housing released for other families

Negative impacts

• Rural depopulation
• Adds to an ageing profile
• Family and friends were left behind to fend for themselves
• Hostility to those left behind
• Loss of young adults from the labour force
• Brain-drain of vital skilled workers
• Agricultural output can decrease

Impacts on destination

Positive impacts

• Cultural fusion
• Boost to falling or ageing populations
• Improvement of economic growth through paying taxes, etc.
• A skilled worker's contribution to the development of a country
• Increased global political status
• Increased labour force

Negative impacts

• Environmental pressures are caused by deforestation and overgrazing, waste, pollution, etc.
• Sanitation, water and food shortages
• Illegal migrants: violation of human rights, human trafficking, exploitation
• Non-integration within the wider community: a sense of mistrust and a possible rise in crime
• Pressure on the government to supply healthcare, food, and housing – difficult if the country of destination is a developing country
• Housing issues: migrants may find themselves on the streets, in camps or in squatter settlements

Exam Hint

• Internal migrants are not always the poorest people
• It can be from rural to urban, urban to urban or urban to rural
• Migrants will move for perceived better opportunities