Factors that cause people to emigrate to the US. Research and discuss:
Factors that cause people to emigrate to the US
The many factors that cause people to emigrate to the US.
The history of immigration to the US.
How the acceptance of immigration has changed in today’s political climate.
WHY DO PEOPLE IMMIGRATE?
Immigration — and its dynamic effect on global development — has been the subject of many reports, studies, and debates. Its economic implications have shaped global industries for years and are changing the world for the better.
Global migration is a large-scale topic. Currently, there are an estimated 272 million international migrants, which account for 3.5% of the world’s population. While the percentage may seem relatively low, the number of migrants already surpasses some projections for 2050.
In a 2020 report by United Nations (UN), it was revealed that one in every 30 people is an international migrant. Europe and Asia alone host around 82 to 84 million immigrants. These regions were followed by North America, which houses almost 52 million international migrants.
Every year, the percentage of international citizens traversing borders increases and drastically impacts a country’s population size, cultural diversity, and economic productivity.
With the constant wave of settlers and refugees around the world today, a significant question arises — what exactly are the causes of immigration?
EXPLORING THE ROOTS OF IMMIGRATION
Immigration, in its simplest definition, is the movement of people from one place or country into another one. It is a simple yet fundamental aspect of human history.
Immigration is a concept that pre-dates existing laws. Long ago, nomadic tribes traveled from place to place to find fresh and fertile lands, pastures for their livestock, and rich areas for hunting and fishing.
In modern times, immigration still continues all over the world. In the past decade, the demographic composition of people traversing borders has significantly changed. This can be attributed to a wide range of factors that we can categorize into two groups — push and pull factors.
It is essential to examine these factors in order to perfectly understand the increase of global migration throughout the years.
PUSH AND PULL FACTORS
To reach well-developed immigration and foreign policy solutions, it is important to recognize the driving factors that prompt individuals to migrate.
People around the globe immigrate for a wide array of reasons that we conceptualize as “push” and “pull” factors.
Push factors are reasons that compel or push people to leave the area of where they reside and settle someplace else. Common factors can include armed conflict, disaster exposure, gender inequality, lack of job opportunities, political corruption, and lack of access to competent healthcare and education. In simple terms, push factors are negative reasons that prompt individuals to leave.
Pull factors are, on the other hand, the exact opposite of push factors. They attract or pull people to move and settle in a particular area. Common pull factors may include better work opportunities, greater security, and access to adequate healthcare and education. Simply put, pull factors are positive reasons that prompt individuals to move.
Immigration, however, is not as simple as being pulled and pushed for merely a few reasons. The push and pull framework is a combination of factors that encourage a person to leave a place of origin and factors that draw a person to a destination.
Push and pull factors are never the same for everyone, and the reasons for immigration are unique to each individual.
However, even though factors can change depending on age, gender, health, social class, and ethnicity, a push or pull factor may describe a pattern that can be attributed to many different reasons.
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