Consequences of Migration

INTRODUCTION

Human migration is when people from one place move to another place, either temporarily or permanently, with an intent to settle down at the new place. It can be either inter-city, inter-state, intranational, or international, depending on the cause and intention behind the migration. Migration is often a result of unequal and non-uniform availability of finances, employment, opportunities, or social conditions.

Therefore, migration has many direct and indirect consequences. In this article, we shall briefly discuss the following consequences of Migration on the national and international levels:

• Economic Consequences
• Demographic Consequences
• Social Consequences

  1.ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES

Migration has consequences on the economy of both native and migrating places. However, it is believed that migration has a mixed impact on the economic conditions of any place, city, or country. It might be positive for one and negative for another.

1.1 POSITIVE IMPACT:

Migration of skilled labour or workers from one place to another can result in the financial and economic growth of the migrating place. Availability of manpower can help manual work-related businesses to outshine and grow vigorously. Also, the migrants can become potential taxpayers for the country to which they have migrated, aiding the economy of that nation.

1.2 NEGATIVE IMPACT:

Migrants can eat up the possible job opportunities of the natives of that city or country, which can lead to unemployment issues. Migration, if done through international borders illegally, can bind the migrants to live under poor and unhygienic work conditions with low wages and low standard of living. Further, such illegal immigrants can consume the resources of the nation, depriving its native of a good standard of living. For nations where manpower is not a problem, an additional population can become a burden on the natural and financial resources of the country.

2.DEMOGRAPHIC CONSEQUENCES:

Demography is the analysis of the size, type, and quality of the population of a particular area or region. Taking into consideration the literal meaning of the word ‘Demography’, it can be observed that migration would have direct impacts on the demographic position of a place or country. People often migrate considering the geographical and climatic conditions of a place. The more favourable geographical conditions a place would possess, the more likely it will welcome migrants. The most popular type of migration is rural to urban migration. Such migration leads to an increase in the urban population and a decrease in the rural population. This directly hampers the demographic conditions of rural areas as it experiences loss of potential young achievers and skilled labour.

Migration also affects the demographic structure of urban areas by increasing population load, which can further lead to unemployment, poor quality of life, and ultimately commission of crimes. It also affects the birth rate, death rate, sex ratio, and infertility rate of an area. It has a direct impact on the development and modernisation of a region and also on the efficient use of the resources present in that geographical area.

Therefore, it can be said that migration can have a mixed effect on the demographic consequences of any place or region depending on the extent & nature of migration.

3.SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

Social factors are highly responsible for the migration of people from one place to another. Some places are more liveable, providing better job opportunities, life security, career prospects, peaceful environment, health services, property security, the standard of living, and lifestyle. Some places are religiously relevant which is why people tend to migrate to these places to serve their religious beliefs and faith.

Similarly, migration also affects the social structure of a place or region. These social consequences can be good for some and bad for some. Due to migration, several cities or nations experience loss of their culture and beliefs by local natives, an increase in unemployment and poverty in the places where migrants seek shelter, involvement of migrants in criminal activities, and more chances of spread of communicable diseases.

Further, the local population might resist accepting and giving credence to the migrants which might lead to communalism and discrimination. The lack of social acceptance makes the migrants more vulnerable to illegal and criminal activities, thus shattering the social structure of a place. However, migration may prove beneficial as well for some regions, especially the rural areas. The rural areas might get access to technology and the latest techniques, which can aid their day-to-day development and make them grow socially and economically.

Therefore, it can be concluded that migration has both merits and demerits for the social structure of a city or country that accepts migration.

CONCLUSION

Migration is an inevitable ever-going process that has a direct effect on the functioning and administration of the places which experience migration and also of the places which accept migrants. It aids in the adaptation and acceptance of different cultural and traditional values and helps in improving the social and economic traits of different regions. It has many social, economic, and demographic consequences and relevance which are both positive and negative. However, what has to be understood is that the negative consequences can be controlled only through proper policies by areas or countries experiencing immigration and by keeping an appropriate check on the activities of the migrants.