Impacts of Migration (Edexcel IGCSE Geography) : Revision Note

Impacts on migrants

• The impacts on migrants depend on:

  • Who the migrant is - voluntary, forced etc.

  • Why they are migrating - job prospects, fear etc.

  • Where they are migrating to - urban, internal etc.

  • Where they are migrating from - rural, international etc. 

  • When they are migrating - summer, winter etc.

  • How they are migrating - on foot, plane, car etc. 

  • Setting up and closing down costs of migrating - selling and buying a home or renting, shipping costs etc. 

• Impacts can have a positive or negative effect on the migrant and their family with many being similar impacts to all types of migrants

Voluntary international migration

Positive impacts

• Wages are higher with better job security

• A wider choice of job opportunities

• Ability to support wider family with remittances 

• Better housing and improved facilities 

Negative impacts

• Financial costs are higher

• It can mean separation from wider family and friends

• Problems settling into a new culture

• Exposure to possible ethnic discrimination

• There may be a language barrier

• Regret and homesickness

Voluntary internal migration

Positive impacts

• Change of lifestyle

• Maybe a cheaper cost of living

• Different opportunities 

• Urban to rural for extra space

• Rural to urban for job opportunity

• Improved availability of health, social and leisure facilities

Negative impacts

• Unfamiliar surroundings and sense of loss

• Lack of, or informal employment

• Poor or slum housing

• Victimisation and urban poverty

• Regret and homesickness

• Finding and making new friends

• Limited access to facilities; may have to travel to see a health professional

Forced international migration

Positive impacts

• Safety from conflict

• Better opportunities

• Improved education

Negative impacts

• Few job opportunities 

• Exposure to discrimination based on ethnic, gender and language barrier

• Abandonment of family, friends, and home

• Housed in camps with overcrowding and risk of disease

• Fatigue and hunger from travel

• PTSD and other long-term health issues from experience

• Lack of money and exposure to exploitation

Forced internal migration

Positive impacts

• Safety from hazards or conflict

• Improved healthcare

• Better opportunities

• Access to facilities

• Better education

• Improved housing

Negative impacts

• Loss of home, family and friends

• Loss of sense of belonging to a community

• Cost of starting all over again

• Anxiety about finding a new home

• Fatigue and abandonment

• The stress of fitting into a new community

Impacts on origin & destination

• The impact of migration on a country's population change is very small

• The only type of migration that would make an impact would be international migration

Impacts on origin

Positive impacts

• Migrants send remittances back, increasing the living standards of families but also the wider community (spread of wealth)

• Chance for some areas to recover due to less competition for space, jobs and or partners

• Reduction in pressure on healthcare, education services etc. 

• Housing released for other families

Negative impacts

• Rural depopulation

• Adds to an ageing profile

• Family and friends were left behind to fend for themselves

• Hostility to those left behind

• Loss of young adults from the labour force

• Brain-drain of vital skilled workers

• Agricultural output can decrease 

Impacts on destination

Positive impacts

• Cultural fusion

• Boost to falling or ageing populations

• Improvement of economic growth through paying taxes, etc. 

• A skilled worker's contribution to the development of a country

• Increased global political status

• Increased labour force

Negative impacts

• Environmental pressures are caused by deforestation and overgrazing, waste, pollution, etc. 

• Sanitation, water and food shortages

• Illegal migrants: violation of human rights, human trafficking, exploitation

• Non-integration within the wider community: a sense of mistrust and a possible rise in crime

• Pressure on the government to supply healthcare, food, and housing - difficult if the country of destination is a developing country

• Housing issues, migrants may find themselves on the streets, in camps or in squatter settlements