REASONS FOR MIGRATION.

Some are forced to move due to conflict or to escape persecution

and prejudices, while others may voluntarily leave their countries of origin.

There are two types of motivation for migration:

-Push (need to leave in order to survive)

-Pull (attracted to new way of life)

o In the search of respect/ tolerance for Human Rights:

-Political Freedom
-Religious Tolerance
(Political or Religious Refugees fear for their lives and seek asylum)
o To flee from war zones/ war-torn countries and oppression
o To escape poverty and famine
o For reasons of safety and stability
o For economic opportunities - People want a better life - better job - more money- more
social benefits
o Because of education opportunities and self-fulfillment
o For health reasons
o Due to the climate/ environmental threats/ natural disasters
o To avoid legal/ financial issues, for instance, lawsuits
o Family Reunification

THE PRESENCE OF MIGRANTS IN THE HOST COUNTRY

Some notes on what people consider to be the positive and negative influences of migrants in
the host country:

Positive:

o They are part of the workforce of a country; they do valuable work in many different sectors
of the economy (some important sectors of rich countries would collapse if they went away),
they do jobs natives don’t want (low-paying, tough jobs; menial jobs).
o They bring in wealth, money. They boost the economy. They provide dynamism which is
beneficial to the economy and helps growth and competitiveness. For example, many
immigrants set up their own businesses.
o They are an interesting and valuable part of the community.
o With ageing populations and falling birth rates, many (European) countries desperately
need skilled foreign workers.
o They contribute with their customs, work, spirit, etc to keep up a nation.

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o They help improve a country’s culture with their different cultures and talents (in science,
in technology, in the arts…).
o A country is enriched in terms of cultural traditions, its racial make-up, its food and clothes,
its music.
o They influence politics, education, social services and even the language.
o They change a country’s perception of itself and its way of life by enriching that country.
o Societies become richer, both economically and intellectually.
o People become more open-minded and caring.
o They contribute to democracy and the fight for human and civil rights.

Negative:

▪ They cling to their traditional prejudices, traditions and ways of living in order to maintain
their identity (this appears hostile to outsiders), therefore creating ghettos and problems of
integration and socialization.
▪ They are blamed for violence and rising crime, growing racial tension and all sorts of social
conflicts (the appearance of racist movements; rise of xenophobia and neo-nazi groups).
▪ They steal jobs; they take the place of native workers when unemployment is so high; they
bring poverty.
▪ They cheat the taxpaying public; they end up on welfare (unemployment), so they
contribute to the rise in welfare costs and the rise in taxes (they live off welfare benefits,
they say).
▪ They bring diseases.
▪ They are a strain (a burden, a pressure, a drain) for the economy of the host country; the
country needs to offer housing, employment, schools, food, clothes, medical services … for
all.
▪ The lack of command of the new language can lead to misunderstanding and discord.
▪ Many countries need to limit immigration because they are already suffering from over-
population. Apart from other economic and social implications, too many people in one
place leads to fewer resources per person.
▪ Certain cities become “melting pots” without any unity or identity > loss of national identity
▪ A nation’s country and identity is weakened by the mixture of other traditions and cultures.
▪ Organized crime, terrorist actions and people trafficking are made easier because so many
people are on the move.

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PROBLEMS / OBSTACLES IMMIGRANTS FACE

Migrants face social, ethnic, cultural, emotional/ psychological and economic consequences.

✓ Homesickness; loneliness
✓ Family separation (wife-husband; parents leave children behind to be brought up with
grandparents, for example)
✓ Frustration, anxiety, sadness
✓ Problems of integration/ adjustment
✓ Cultural / ethnic differences; culture shock / clashes of culture
✓ Confrontation with the strangeness of people, language, customs …
✓ Feelings of social inadequacy and inferiority/ not belonging
✓ Difficulties in facing difference in everyday activities, habits and life style
✓ Language problems
✓ New rules and laws
✓ Different religious practices, moral attitudes and values, and beliefs
✓ Dominance of mainstream culture
✓ Poorer qualifications and education and unskilled jobs lead to lower, lower standard of life
and poorer housing  downgrading of minorities (looked down upon, remain “second
class citizens”)
✓ Ghettos
✓ Exploitation
✓ Racial conflicts
✓ Xenophobia
✓ Prejudice, discrimination
✓ Hostility, ostracism
✓ Illegal situations (“undocumented”)
✓ Deportation
✓ Young ones feel different / segregated from native children
✓ Double identity / double life  caught up in the middle of two societies (Where do I
belong?)- neither fish nor fowl
✓ Need for children to maintain a link with the homeland
✓ Conflicts between parents and children
✓ Children born in the foreign country loss of cultural roots, of the ethnic code

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