Evaluating the positive impacts of migration in the United Kingdom

Migration in the UK

Evaluate claim migration positively valued UK-essay Sources:Chapter 4 main source information material Chapter 5 Exploring Social Lives, Milton Keynes, Tne Open University. Illustrate support arguments..

Migration is the process by which humans move physically from one location to another, in order to stay there permanently or semi-permanently. There is voluntary migration where an individual moves at their own will within their own region, country or overseas. Involuntary migration includes human trafficking where humans are taken to other countries to work without the right papers for migration, and against their own will. Slave trade and ethnic cleansing are also part of the involuntary migration. Migration may be intercontinental where people move from one continent to another; intercontinental is where people move from one country to another, within the same continent. Interregional migration is where people from one country to another within the same region and rural to urban migration is the movement of people from the rural to urban areas in search of job opportunities Gordon, 1995()

People who move into a new region or country are called immigrants while those who move out of a country are called emigrants. Some people migrate into a new territory so as to be able to develop it. Such people are called settlers or colonists. The people who move out of their country into another for fear of persecution because of their race, or due to political instability in their country are called refugees Gordon, 1995()

Types of migration

There are several types of migration. Internal migration involves moving from one home into a new one within the same country. External migration is the movement of people into new homes but in different countries. Emigration is when a certain person leaves his or her country and moves into another. Immigration is the entry into a new country. Population transfer is where a large group of people are forced to move by the government of their countries mostly due to religion or ethnicity. Imposed migration is when people move from their country of residence into another due to unfavorable situations like war, drought and political instability Gordon, 1995()

Chain migration involves the movement of a family from their country into a new country. This process happens slowly because few people of the family go at a time. Those in the new country work and send money home to bring more members of the family into the new country. Return migration is where the immigrants go back to their home countries of birth. Migration can also be permanent or temporary. Permanent migration is where people move to a new area and stay there permanently while temporary migration is where people move to a new place for a short time, such as the tourists Gordon, 1995()

Reasons for migration

Factors that cause migration of people are divided into pull and push factors. Push factors are those that make people emigrate from their own country. Pull factors are those that attract people into moving to a desired country. Political instability in country may lead to war causing people to migrate in search for peace. Environmental factors such as drought and natural disasters such as earth quakes and floods can cause people to migrate. People migrate in such for job opportunities and for better education. Some people move into new countries in search for religious freedom, better climatic conditions and increased supply of food Laczko, 2002()

Advantages of migration in UK

Immigration is positively valued in the United Kingdom. The immigrants bring new skills into the country. They teach the native born workers their new skills thus increasing the productivity of the country. Immigrants take up the niches left behind by people in the UK. These jobs are mostly low paying or looked down upon by the native-born individuals. The low paying jobs taken up by the immigrants include construction, nursing, catering and domestic services. They thus improve the economy of the country.

Immigration into the United Kingdom has led to intermarriage between the immigrants and the natives. This has led to increased cultural diversity in the country. People have been able to learn about the cultures of different ethnic groups from different countries. This has created understanding between individuals and has decreased discrimination Moser and Beesley, 1973.

Understanding other people's cultures and way of life builds respect and people are able to work together towards a common goal.

Immigrants who come into the country as tourists increase the country's revenue. This contributes to a positive effect in the country's economy. Immigration also leads to improved standards of living for the citizens of the country. The skills gained by the natives from the immigrants help them to be able to get better paying jobs thus increasing income per head. This helps them be able to improve their living standards.

Immigrants contribute largely to the public service. Records show that the net fiscal contribution of immigrants was 31.2 billion in 2002. The reports from Home Office show that Immigrants contribute 10% in the net fiscal contribution. Immigration has a positive impact on inflation as it lowers it Open University Worldwide, 2010.

Immigration has been considered to have a huge impact on the social cohesion in the UK. Social cohesion is where people in a community are sharing a common vision and there are positive relationships that exist between the different people from different ethnic groups in all sectors. Social cohesion enables people to have a keen and passionate sense of belonging in a particular community. Immigration has improved education and productivity in the places of work. People from different backgrounds have learnt how to interact and respect each other, thus working towards a common goal.

As skilled people migrate from the UK to other countries for example doctors, nurses, other scientists, they are able bring positive effects in the countries they move to thus bringing global development. When emigrants from the UK move to other countries, they are able to build the economy of other countries thus improving on their economy. This makes the United Kingdom be highly respected by other countries because they also contribute in the development of their countries. A group of doctors may immigrate to the third world countries and help to eradicate diseases considered to be life threatening. This helps to boost health of people globally.

Disadvantages of migration in the UK

There are some disadvantages that are brought by immigration into the United Kingdom. Immigrants lead to increase in population in the country. Some immigrants smuggle drugs into the country and contribute to immoral behaviors such as prostitution. Some of the immigrants work and send money back home. This contributes to failure in economic growth. Immigration has a negative impact on social cohesion as it breaks the bonds between members of a community. Most members fill that the immigrants have come to take over their lands and position at the places of work thus creating tension and wrangles between people. Immigration also leads to the loss of cultural identity among the people because of intermarriage. Some immigrants come into the country as criminals thus such as the terrorists thus bringing insecurity in the country. Some immigrants lead to economy drain in the countries they migrate to. They receive free health care and education from the government and do not contribute in anyway towards the economy of the country.

Conclusion

Migration is considered to be the migration of people from one place to another one in search of several things such as better job opportunities and better education. People migrate from their home countries because of war, famine, flooding, and earthquakes. Some people migrate in search of better climate. The immigrants might settle permanently in the countries they migrate to while others move there for a shorter time.

The advantages of migration in the UK are: It leads to economy growth, builds social cohesion, improves the productivity of different companies and leads to global development. Some of the disadvantages include, smuggling of drugs into the country, diluting the peoples culture and encourages prostitution. The pros of migration in UK outweigh the cons, and that is why migration is positively valued in the country.