Reasons People Emigrate

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Reasons People Migrate

Introduction

Migration has to do with the movement of people from one place to another. Immigration has a dynamic effect on global development and is transforming the world for the better. There are approximately 272 million international migrants, accounting for 3.5% of the global population. A 2020 UN report showed that one in 30 individuals is an immigrant. Asia and Europe alone have up to 84 million migrants. Each year the number of international citizens crossing borders tends to increase, drastically affecting a country’s population size, economic productivity and cultural diversity. This essay discusses the reasons why people emigrate from their home country and immigrate to a new one.

Environmental factors

One reason that makes numerous people move from their home country to new ones has to do with the poor environment. Some people reside in countries that are known to be affected by natural disasters such as tsunamis, volcanoes and even erosion. These environmental factors are caused by extreme climatic conditions. They pose a real threat to people, particularly those disproportionately affected by poverty. The Christian Aid report notes that in the next 50 years, up to 1 billion individuals could be displaced as the effects of climate change continue to deter orate (Spohn, 2017). People that move from their home country into new countries because of such issues are referred to as climate refugees. This does not necessarily mean that they have to be granted refugee status. Seeing that the phenomenon is still new, many countries are yet to know how to respond to the issue.

To Escape Poverty

Another reason people emigrate from their countries to new ones is to escape poverty. Statistics show that in 2020, up to 73% of global immigrants were between 20 and 64 years, as compared to 57% of the whole population (Ríos, López-Navas, Sánchez, Ayala, Garrido, Sebastián, & Parrilla, 2018). There is a huge difference in salaries earned in developing and developed countries. Additionally, the working conditions in developed countries are of a higher standard than in developing ones. This attracts immigrants to move to new countries to get better employment as it will translate into better standards of living. Developed countries also tend to have better social networks making them more attractive to immigrants that are coming from developing countries. In essence, numerous people emigrate into new countries to escape limited opportunities and high unemployment in their home countries.

Love and Marriage

The third reason people emigrate from their home countries into new ones is to chase love and marriage. Today, people do not have to necessarily meet in person. The internet has paved the way for new opportunities for people. The internet has made it possible to court without having met. They could be thousands of miles apart, but with the emergence of technology and the internet, they can keep in touch with each other at all times. Each day people continue to move out of their home country and join their loved ones in another part of the world. While it sounds uncommon and strange, it is the reality of things. We live in a global world where long-distance dating has become common. For couples that meet online and are ready to take the next step of marriage, migrating to stay together is the obvious choice.

Conclusion

In closing, people emigrate from their home countries and immigrate to new ones for numerous reasons. Some people migrate to escape poverty, while others migrate to escape environmental disasters. Others escape to chase love and marriage. It is important to realize that immigration is a major life decision. People should think carefully before migrating as it means starting life fresh in a new place which can be quite scary.

References

Ríos, A., López-Navas, A. I., Sánchez, Á., Ayala, M. A., Garrido, G., Sebastián, M. J., & Parrilla, P. (2018, March). Does the attitude toward organ donation change as a function of the country where people emigrate? study between Uruguayan emigrants to the United States and Spain. In Transplantation Proceedings (Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 334-337). Elsevier.

Spohn, M. P. (2017). Emigrants’ Stories of Foreign Aid and their Reasons for Emigration: Guatemalans on the Move. Universitas Psychologica, 16, 133-147.