Migratory Movements

Migration

Movement of people who leave the place where they're living in order to go and settle permanently
or temporarily somewhere else.

Emigration

The leaving of individuals from a country who intend to go and settle in another.

Immigration

The entry of individuals who proceed from another country.

Although people have always migrated, it increased in the recent years. This is partly because of
globalization and how it has improved the exchange of information. It has also made transport
cheaper.

Most immigration destination are within the Northen Hemisphere. Less developed regions produce a
lot of emigrants. In China, Egypt and Brazil is more common the internal migration.

There are several reasons why people migrate:

Economic

Mainly young people emigrating to search for better opportunities. These low-skilled workers often
face obstacle in their destination, like struggling to find a job or succeed.

Political instability

Wars, insecurity and instability may lead people to look for a safer place to live and generates
movements of refugees, like what’s happening in Ukraine, Ecuador, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, etc.

Natural reasons

Enviromental changes or natural disasters can lead people to search for a safer place to live or stay
for a time until the disaster ends.

Migration: origin and destinations countries

The United States has been one of the main destinations for international migrants worldwide since
the '70s, according to the World Migration Report in 2022. In fact, the number of foreign-born
people in the country has increased more than fourfold, from fewer than 12 million in 1970 to more
than 50 million in 2020. The biggest groups of migrants came from Mexico (10,853,105), India
(2,723,764), China (2,184,110), the Philippines (2,061,178) and El Salvador (1,410,659).
Germany comes in second place in the ranking of countries with the most international migrants. It
too has seen numbers skyrocket in recent years, with nearly double the number of people who were
born abroad residing there between 2000 and 2020 - from 8.9 million to 16 million. In 2020, its
biggest groups of people born elsewhere were from Poland (2,141,722), Turkey (1,837,282), Russia
(1,198,831), Kazakhstan (1,128,201) and Syria (707,457).

Saudi Arabia rounds up the top three with 13.5 million recorded international migrants in 2020,
rising from rank 8 in 2000 when it had 5.3 million. The biggest groups here hail from India
(2,502,337), Indonesia (1,709,318) and Pakistan (1,483,737). The kingdom attracts many of its
international migrant community for its job opportunities and comparatively higher salaries
compared to those in the destination countries.

The consequences of migration

It has positive and negative consequences for both the countries of origin and destination countries:

Positives

Origin:

 Reduce unemployment, because lots of unemployed workers go to other countries to search

for new and better opportunities.
 Provides a source of income, because emigrants send money back to their families,
producing stable income.

Destination:

 Leads to population and economic growth, increases cultural.

 Negatives

Origin:

 Loss of skilled workers and young people, along with problems related to uprooting
 Brain Drain: loss of educated or professional workers who emigrates to a country with better
wages and opportunities.
 Reduction of economic growth

Destination:

 Migrants may struggle to adapt to the new culture, environment, people and may suffer
racism or xenophobia.
 Migrants may hire the services of illegal immigration officers, where human trafficking may
occur.

Trends in migration

Migration has grown thanks to population growth and results of improvements in transport and
technology.

In 2017, 258 million people migrated.

Although migration carries with economic needs. Around 70 million people were displaced by
conflict or persecution, more than half of them children.

Forced Migration

Political situations and conflicts can lead to wars, this violence force thousands of people to emigrate
to escape from threats.

For example, the bloody Coltan War in the Congo, which was fought over control of the large
mineral deposits of this mineral, forced several people to flee their country. Alain, one of the
affected, faced countless obstacle to reach Spain, like spending his savings on a plane ticket to
Morocco, having to survive on tips and cross to Spain by sea, forced to cover his skin with olive oil to
protect himself from the cold and used a punctured tyre from a workshop instead of buying wetsuits
and life jackets, being rescued after losing consciousness in the water by a civil guard. Once on the
peninsula, Alain managed to get a job as a social integration technician who helps refugees arriving
in Málaga. He's married to a Spanish woman and has three daughters.

The outflow of refugees and migrants from Venezuela is the largest displacement crisis in the world,
with almost 7.7 million migrants and refugees as of August 2023. But it has climbed down the list of
political and policy priorities, with fewer headlines in the media and sporadic policy conversations.

There is a sense that this is the new reality for the region and host countries will have to continue to
manage the influx of 6.4 million Venezuelans. On the other hand, it seems that neighbouring
countries are willing to continue discussions on how best to address migration and forced
displacement, but by removing the Venezuelan political focus from the centre of the migrant and
refugee discussion. The truth is that this is a crisis that will persists if the root causes are not
addressed.

The efforts from the region to respond have varied but have generally followed a spirit of regional
solidarity, and important regional innovations have also characterized this recent period. Receiving
countries have extended options to displaced Venezuelans to regularize their status (often with
financial support and encouragement from the United States), and other policies have also sought to
ensure access to the labour market, health services, and basic education.

Venezuelan migrants are now leaving countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, where they
had originally migrated, due to low salaries, inflation, and lack of jobs, and are making the dangerous
trek to reach the U.S. border. In search of the American dream, record numbers of migrants have
also reached the U.S.-Mexico border, with 262,633 Venezuelans having crossed just in 2023.

The root causes include democratic breakdown, repression, and a lack of basic human rights, remain
unchanged in Venezuela. There is also a deep economic crisis driven by devastating policies and a
kleptocracy for the last 20 years. There are also challenges for Venezuelans in receiving countries,
such as limited access to legal documentation, basic services, economic opportunities, and rising
xenophobia. In addition, Venezuelans prefer to leave receiving countries rather than go through
another national crisis. All these elements will remain throughout 2023, and therefore migration
flows should be expected to continue, and even increase in 2024.

Venezuela and Congo aren’t the only countries with these problems, as a said early, Cuba, which is
living a dictatorship since 1952 and having 1.7 million emigrants. The Ukraine war which has led to
6.3 million of its population to emigrate. Ecuador, which has development a lot of insecurity in a very
short time, with marginated groups and vandals attacking and threatening people. And many other
countries that are experiencing a tense and difficult time

There's no doubt that the immediate solution is to welcome and help these immigrants to develop a
happy and healthy life. However, in the long term, government policies and organizations need to
end the forced emigration of people for causes such as armed conflicts over resources. For this case
and others, the UN works to regulate and share resources, to mediate and guarantee the right to
land.

Migration and the SDG

The 2030 agenda recognizes for the first time the role of migration in sustainable development.
Eleven of the 17 SDGs refers to the main causes of migration in many countries. The main reference
in the SDGs is in target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
of people, through the implementation of certain policies. Other objectives focus on human
trafficking, remittances and international student mobility, among others.
 The new global society: immigration, multiculturalism and integration

Globalization generates the progressive integration of societies worldwide. In addition, it involves

the development of habits and lifestyles. Social globalization has led to an increase in the exchange
of information, letting people to know what's happening around the world. As consequence, people
aspire to enjoy the same rights in a near future.

Fear or the other: a barrier to integration

The increase in international migration is a consequence of globalization. Immigration created a

situation which people of different culture live together in the same society, but sometimes lead to
rejection instead of acceptance.

In a report completed in 2020 by the CERED, 51.8% of the surveyed (Foreign population,
descendants of migrants and Roma population) stated that they had suffered discrimination due to
their physical features or culture.

This rejection may be due to the fear of the unknow and other factors. This is why it's important to
expose different realities.

Three basic rules to help us understand intercultural communication

 Improve your own communication skills.

 Show interest in the other person's culture.
 Reflect on different aspects of your own culture.

Multiculturalism or interculturalism?

Multiculturalism:

Geographical, physical or social area in which various cultures coexist. However, contact between
this cultures is not necessary. Traditions and customs aren't shared, probably leading conflicts.

Interculturalism:

Coexistence of different cultures with daily contact and exchange, and there's not a dominant
culture in the territory.

What's the function of interculturalism in society?

 Promotes understanding and comprehension between different cultures.

 To acknowledge cultural diversity.
 To accept, reflect and respect universal rights.
 To achieve tolerance between communities.
 To share different cultures in peace and harmony.
 Cultural mixing

 Interculturalism leads to the mixing of cultures and the development of heterogeneous

cultures.
 This means being exposed to different cultures.
 Despite the different mixes, the common thing is that people of mixed heritage see
themselves as bridges. If you have known people or loved ones who are from different
cultures, you'll want them to respect each other.

Learning to live together

In order to build relationships between different cultures, these should be based on mutual respect
and learning.

As article 26.3 of the UDHR states:

Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups.

Webography

 https://www.csis.org/analysis/persistence-venezuelan-migrant-and-refugee-
crisis#:~:text=The%20outflow%20of%20refugees%20and,Ukrainians%20outside%20of
%20their%20countries.
 https://www.statista.com/chart/30815/top-destination-countries-for-international-
migrants/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20has%20been,the%20World%20Migration
%20Report%202022
 https://datosmacro.expansion.com/demografia/migracion/emigracion/cuba
 https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
 https://www.statista.com/chart/30815/top-destination-countries-for-international-
migrants/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20has%20been,the%20World%20Migration
%20Report%202022