POPULATION MIGRATION

Definition of Terms

Migration – refers to movement which involves change of people’s residence for a

substantial period of at least one year.

Mobility – umbrella referring to all forms of migration eg migration and circulation

Circulation- refers to temporary, short, cyclical, repetitive movements of less than one
year e.g. seasonal agricultural movements. Does not affect total population of a city or
country because movements are internal. Commuting also falls under this category.

Commuting-daily movement to and from place of work or school ( can be intra-rural,

intra-urban, rural to urban.

Migrant-a person who moves from one place to another for purposes of changing
residence

Emigrant- a person who leaves a country.

Immigrant- a person who arrives in a country

Brain drain- is the exodus of educated /skilled personnel to other countries where
there are perceived greener pastures e.g. Zimbabwe to the UK.

Voluntary migration –people move by choice , they make their own decisions as a
result of pull factors e.g. Zimbabwe to the UK/SA for better education, higher salaries
etc.

Involuntary /forced migration- people are compelled to move by circumstances

beyond their control (they have no choice) e.g. natural disasters , relocation from
catchment areas of dams (the case of Tokwe Mukosi) , political or economic imposition
e.g. refugees

Return migration- this is when migrants move to other countries but come back home
after a certain period e.g. Zimbabwe to S.A. and S.A. to Zimbabwe

Emigration- the process of leaving one’s country and taking up permanent residence in
another country

Immigration- the process of coming into a country to take up permanent or semi-

permanent residence

Asylum seekers – these are people who have left their home country, have applied to
another country for recognition as a refugee and are awaiting decision on their
application.

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Refugee- a person who cannot return to his or her own place / country in fear of well
founded attempts of persecution.

Net-migration-this is the difference between the number of immigrants and number of

emigrants. It can be positive or negative. Positive net migration is when there are more
immigrants than emigrants. Negative net migration is when there are more emigrants
than immigrants.

Classifications of Migration

Migration can be classified in terms of :

1. time i.e. temporary or permanent

2. pattern i.e. internal migration or international migration.
3. decision i.e. voluntary or involuntary (forced migration)

Causes of Migration

Conditions that cause migration can involve both push and pull factors.

Push factors

These force / compel people to move, they bring involuntary movements: e.gs.

• slavery
• compulsory resettlement due to displacement by projects e.g. dam construction
• lack of educational and health facilities
• lack of employment opportunities
• low incomes
• adverse climatic conditions such as drought
• natural disasters eg earthquakes and tsunamis
• housing shortages
• social upheavals (political instability, wars, religious persecutions ...)
• shortage of land for settlement and farming

Pull Factors

These attract people to new areas and they move by choice within or across national
boundaries. Movements are voluntary, e.gs :

• job prospects/employment opportunities

• high wages
• improved housing
• attractive environment
• perceived high standards of living
• better water supply and sanitation
• better educational facilities

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 • advanced medical facilities
• improved transport and communication
• availability of gentle sloping land for settlement and farming
• availability of fertile soil which promote crop farming
• favourable climate e.g. high rainfall and cool temperatures which promote crop
farming.
• Political stability and peace

Barriers to voluntary movements

• There may be govt restrictions through need for travel documents : passports,
visas, work/study permits , emigration quotas.
• People may lack the money for food, housing or accommodation.
• The destination country may have a different language.
• people are afraid of discrimination
• there may be xenophobia attacks in destination countries
• illnesses may also prevent people from migrating.
• People are also afraid of failing to get employment or accommodation
• threat of family disintegration prevents people from migrating.
• Some people may have heavy family responsibilities

Reasons for return

• There may be racial tension in the new area e.g. xenophobia attacks on
Zimbabweans in South Africa
• People would have earned sufficient money to return home
• People return to be reunited with the family
• foreign culture may have proved unacceptable
• causes of initial migration may be no more e.g. political instability

Barriers to return

• people may have insufficient money to afford transport

• people do not return if political/religious tension is still there in original areas

Internal migration

This is movement of people within a country

Patterns of internal migration

Rural to Urban

• common in LICs

Causes

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--- Need for bright lights

• there is shortage of land / land pressure in rural areas.

• Unemployment is high in rural areas and their job opportunities in urban areas
• mechanisation on farms makes people to move to urban areas.
• People are pushed by natural hazards such as drought
• wars in rural areas force people to move to urban areas.
• There are poor standards of living in rural areas and better standards of living in
urban areas
• There are poor health and educational facilities in rural areas and better facilities
in urban areas

Impact on Source Region

• low agricultural output occurs

• there is ageing population
• rural areas face shortage of labour
• depopulation of rural areas occurs
• increase in remittance
• reduced population pressure
• increased skills

Impact on Destination Area eg harare

• unemployment rises due to a large number of immigrants

• overcrowding becomes common leading to diseases eg cholera, typhoid
• there is lack of lack of accommodation resulting in squatter settlements eg
Epworth
• pollution/environmental degradation increases (air, water, land, noise and
graffiti)
• there is strain on social services e.g. schools, health ...etc hotsitting
• sewage pipe bursts
• water shortages
• antisocial behaviour eg prostitution, drug abuse, muggimg
• traffic congestion leading to accidents

Attempts to curb Rural - Urban Migration

• There should be decentralisation of services and industries e.g. establishment of

growth points eg gokwe, gutu , nemamwa n jerera
• rural electrification should be done to improve living conditions
• clean water (borehole, piped water) should be provided in rural areas
• self help projects funded by govt and NGOs should be introduced.

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 • There should be resettlement to ease population pressure in rural areas

2.Rural to Rural

-most common in LICs and very little in HICs

Causes

• Resettlement may be done to reduce pressure in rural area

• Some people may change their village due to marriage
• family disputes may force some family members to leave to another village.
• Poor soils, low rainfall and high temperatures may force people to move to
another village with friendly environmental factors.

3.Urban to Urban

Causes

• relocation of company causes relocation of its workers

• people also move due to job transfer /promotion
• people also move in pursuit for higher education
• others move for prestige
• there may be high costs of living in some urban areas
• sanitation and water supply may be better in certain urban areas.
• There are better transport and communication facilities in other urban areas eg
airports
• low levels of crime in particular towns attract people
• there is less pollution in particular towns

4.Urban to Rural

• common in HICs and present in LICs

Causes

• shanty /squatter area clearances in urban areas force people to go to rural areas
• rise in unemployment in urban areas makes people to move to rural areas
• there may be housing shortages in urban areas
• retrenchment forces people to go to rural areas.
• Some people go to rural areas due desire to rejoin family members
• Others go rural areas due to retirement at old age
• services are cheaper in rural areas
• there less pollution in rural areas
• land for farming is available in rural areas.
• rural areas are peaceful and quiet

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Intra –Urban Movements in HICs (from inner city to suburbs)

FACTOR INNERCITY SUBURBS

Housing Poor quality ,lacks amenities Modern high quality, low density
,overcrowded with amenities

Traffic Congestion ,air and nose Less congestion and pollution

pollution ,parking problems ,wider and well planned roads
Jobs High unemployment ,less Lower unemployment rates
skilled jobs ,more skilled jobs
Environment Noise and air pollution from Cleaner ,less pollution ,lower
traffic and factories ,high crime crime rates
rates
social factors Fewer older services e.g. Newer and more services ,less
schools ,hospitals ,racial and ethnic and racial problems
ethnic problems
Family status Lower incomes often old and Improved wealth and family
young ,large families professional status

Case study- Internal migration

With reference to areas you have studied, explain the causes and effects of rural to urban
migration on sending and receiving regions.

Rural to urban migration

Zaka to Harare (Zimbabwe)

Causes of migration
Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, has received many migrants from rural areas because it has the
most employment opportunities. Work is available in the capital city’s administrative offices
such as Registry, Public Service and many companies that have set up in Harare, for example,
Econet and Delta. In addition, employment opportunities occur in financial institutions such as
Barclays, Standard Chartered Bank and Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe. People have also
migrated to Harare for better educational facilities and higher institutions of learning such as
the University of Zimbabwe. Health facilities are better in Harare since there are many health
institutions and referral hospitals such as Parirenyatwa, with many doctors.

Rural areas have poor public services such as health, education and transport. Rural schools in
areas such as Zaka, are characterised by shortage of teachers, classrooms, furniture and
textbooks. Health standards are still low because hospitals such as Ndanga have shortage of
doctors and drugs. There are low employment opportunities since there are no industries in
Zaka. Some parts of Zaka have very low rainfall and high temperatures so agricultural
production is very low.

Impacts in sending area

Money is being sent back to rural homes by migrants. The money is used to pay school fees for
children and buy food and clothes for the family. People have also built improved housing
roofed by asbestos or zinc. Migrants have brought new skills such as painting, welding and

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technology such as generators and cell phones to their rural homes. However, the rural areas
have suffered from brain drain as the skilled and educated have left the area. Depopulation
caused reduced market for locally produced goods. There was low economic growth due to
fewer economic active people.

Impacts in Harare
The city has gained young and educated labour such as accountants, lawyers, doctors, nurses
and teachers. There is increased market for the products produced in the city. Economic growth
has occurred due to availability of labour. There has been cultural enrichment as migrants have
brought in new languages, dress and music. However, unemployment rates have increased in
the city due to influx of people from rural areas. Shortage of housing has led to overcrowding in
some places like Mbare. Unemployment has caused some migrants to live in improvised shelters
made of scrap. A shanty town called Hopely grew up on the southern edge of Harare. It lacks
sanitation and electricity so the city council to upgrade the settlement by supplying tarred
roads, sewerage network and street lighting.

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

• this refers to movement across the international boundaries/ movement from

one country to another eg from Zimbabwe to USA.

Causes -refer to push and pull factors

Problems faced by migrants when they arrive in other countries

• some cannot speak the language in destination country

• discrimination may occur/racism/cultural conflicts
• some people lack skills/education/or have no experience
• others get low paying jobs.
• Some migrants fail to get employment
• Others are unable to get accommodation
• illegal migrants live in fear of deportation
• there is exploitation by employers
• migrants may find it hard to adapt to local culture

Effects of migration

Migration has impacts on both sending and receiving areas. The impacts are positive or
negative

Benefits to sending regions

• there is reduced pressure on health and education services and on housing

• there is repatriation/remittance of funds back home
• it reduces level of unemployment or underemployment
• return migrants can bring new skills and ideas to the community

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Problems to sending areas

• there is poor agricultural production /less food production due to shortage of

labour
• brain drain occurs causing shortage of skilled labour /personnel e.g. doctors
• there is slow pace of economic development
• family disintegration is promoted
• an ageing population occurs in communities with a large outflow of young
migrants

Positive impacts on receiving areas

• There is increased labour force
• labour is cheap
• market for goods grows
• there is cultural enrichment as people from different cultures converge
• migrants bring in important skills
• population ageing is reduced because of young migrants

Negative impacts on receiving area

• there is a serious problem of overcrowding

• there is shortage of accommodation leading to squatter settlements
• Unemployment rises
• There are increased crime rates
• pressure on health and education increases
• there is increased pollution

Case study : International migration

Migration from Mexico to USA

Mexicans make up 29.5 % of all foreigners in USA. Mexican migrants account for about 20% of
legal migrants living in USA. Brain drain is occurring out of Mexico.

Push factors in Mexico

In 2010 there were poor medical facilities for example 1800 people per doctor. Adult literacy
rates were 55% so there were poor educational prospects. About 40% of the population was
unemployed. There were low paid jobs with a GDP per capita of slightly above 14 000 dollars.
Standards of living were poor and there was shortage of food due to poor farming conditions.
Life expectancy was only 72 years.

Pull factors in USA

There were better medical facilities -400 per doctor. Jobs were well paid and GDP per capita -
46 860 dollars. There were good education prospects since adult literacy rates were 99%. Life
expectancy was higher about 76 years. Many jobs were available for low paid workers such as
Mexicans. There was better housing and bright lights.

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Effects in USA
Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons. Mexicans are
seen as a drain on the US economy. Migrant workers keep wages low which affect Americans.
They cause problems in cities due cultural and racial issues. Mexican migrants benefit the US
economy by working for low wages. Mexican culture has enriched the US border states with
food, language and music.usa gain skills

Effects in Mexico
The Mexican countryside has shortage of economically active people. Certain villages such as
Santa Ines have lost two thirds of its inhabitants. Many men migrate leaving the majority of
women. Women may have problems finding marriage partners. Migrants send 6 billion dollars a
year back to Mexico.