Migration

 Migration is one of the components/ factors of demographic purposes. It means

that migration can change the population of a place i.e. either increases or decrease
the population. There are various causes/ reasons for migration such as social,
political, culture, economic or natural/ environmental.
 The nexus of extreme poverty and unusually high unemployment rate has resulted
in a rapid emigration of labor migrants in Nepal.
 The study of migration is helpful to policy makers, planners, sociologists,
economists, geographers etc. The most common migration pattern in today world is
from rural urban migration which refers to the people who transfer from the
countryside to cities in search of opportunities.
 The movement of people from one geographical boundary to another with the
intention of setting temporarily or permanently in a new location is called migration.
For e.g. the movement of farmers or laborers at the time of season is also a form of
migration and the movement of people from rural to urban area, one country to
another are some examples of migration. Migrations have developed from the
human history, started with the movements of the first human groups from their
origins in East Africa to their current location in the world.
What is In migration and Out Migration?
The process of coming in from outside is called in migration
whereas the process of going out from inside is called out
migration. In migration and out migration are the terms used in
internal migration.
What is Immigration and Emigration?
Immigration is when someone enters a country. The people
entering country are called immigrants. Emigration is when
someone leaves the country. The people moving away are called
emigrants. For e.g. emigration ( going out) of Nepalese to the USA
and immigration (coming in) of Nepalese in the USA. Emigration
and Immigration are the terms used in external (international)
migration.
 Factors contributing to the process of
migration (reasons of migration)
The factors contributing to the process of migration are also known as
Push and Pull factors of migration. There are many social, economic,
political and physical reasons why people emigrate and they can usually
be classified into push and pull factors.
Push Factors: They are distractions that are associated with the place of
origin. They are reasons that make someone decide to move. They are
usually negative things such as unemployment, crop failure, poor
services and amenities, poor education opportunities, war etc.
Pull Factors: They are attractions that are associated with the place of
destination. They are the expectations which attract people to the new
place. They are usually positive things such as employment
opportunities, fertile land better standard of living, better education or
better health care, peace and security etc.
a. ECONOMIC REASONS
Economic motives are one of the largest reasons of migration.
Pull Factors
• More jobs/ potential for employment in destination place or country.
• Better jobs in foreign land or place.
• Higher wages in destination
• The promise of a better life
• Fertile land in a destination place
Push Factors
• Overpopulation in place of origin i.e. home country
• Few jobs/ Unemployment in place of origin
• Low wage
• Crop failure in place of origin
• Poverty
This lack of economic opportunity tends to push people to look for their futures outside the area of
their origin. For e.g. the migration of Nepalese in Gulf countries, where they often work for low wage,
long hours job in farming, construction and domestic labor.
b. Social reasons
Social reasons tend to involve forced migration.
Pull Factors
• Principles of religious tolerance in destination place or country
• Lack of caste system and inequality destination
• Safer atmosphere
• Low crime rates
• Political security
• Better education and better health care
Push Factors
• Intolerance towards a certain cultural group in place of origin
• Social Stratification (e.g. caste system)
• Poor safety and security
• High crime rates
• War
• Lack of proper health education and health care
• Non availability of land and vocational opportunities
Physical Reasons
Pull factors
• Better infrastructures and services in destination place or country
• Attractive environments, such as mountains, sea sides and
moderate climate
• Less risk of natural hazards
Push Factors
• Lack of services or amenities in place of origin
• Drought
• Natural Disasters e.g. displacement of earthquake victims to new
safer places, flooding etc.
 Types of Migration
Basically there are two types of migration according to geographers:
a. Internal migration: This refers to a change of residence within
national boundaries. i.e. the process of movement of people from
one place to another within the nations boundary is called internal
migration e.g. rural to urban migration. Migrations are affected by
push and pull factors. Availability of education opportunity, drinking
water, hospitals, transportation facility, communication and
electricity facilities etc. play vital role in migration process. People
migrate to another place due to attraction and availability of
facilities and development of infrastructure whereas the difficulties,
scarcity, fear, violence etc. force people to leave their place of origin.
Internal migration is also further classified into In- migration and
Out migration.
b. External migration: This refers to change of
residence across national boundaries i.e. the
process of movement of people beyond the
nations boundary is called external migration.
E.g. movement of Nepalese to the USA. This is
also divided into Immigration and Emigration.
 Factors affecting Migration
• Age: Youths migrate more than the people of other age groups. One
of the reasons behind this is that young people can easily adapt in a
new place, society or climate and has great vigor at this age.
• Sex: The females migrate more than males because they have to
leave their parents home and go to their husbands home after they
get married. Similarly, males migrate in search of work.
• Family Status: The status of a person also affects migration. Young
and unmarried people migrate more than the married and people of
other age group.
• Occupation: People have to migrate from their birth place to new
place for certain occupation. The nature of work also compels people
to migrate from one place to another place.
 Opportunities of Migration
• Migration is viewed as both the opportunity and challenges for both the sending (place of
origin) and receiving countries ( place of destination). The effect of globalization is experienced
everywhere and in every sectors, from social, cultural, economic to political sectors. In
economic sector, process of the fulfillment of the demand of labor at international level can be
considered as one of the opportunity of migration made possible due to migration.
a. There is opportunity of labor migration due to labor demand at international level i.e.
countries hire labor from other countries as labor costs is low compared to its own citizens.
b. Different countries including Nepal has signed labor contract with many countries opening the
door of migration.
c. Some developed countries have been providing permanent migration scheme to skilled and
educated professionals from other countries.
d. Several countries have opened higher education and high paid job opportunities to
international people.
e. The transfer of skills, knowledge and technology has entered the country and created better
life style of people.
f. Unemployment rate in country has been reduces.
g. Women's work mobility and empowerment opportunity as they get
chance to show their talent, skill, and learn to be self dependent and
confident.
h. the publicity of the nation has helped boost tourism industry.
i. The people are exposed to various cultures of the world that
increases adaptability and tolerance among its citizens.
j. The diaspora community has been involves in various productive
sectors in their home country through various social, economic and
technological assistance.
 Challenges of Migration
On one hand, migration helps to open up economic opportunities while on the other hand it leaves
the social, cultural and political situation questionable. Some of the challenges of Migration are as
follows:
• In many cases, migration may not wish to return back to their home which leads to loss of
manpower.
• The divorce rate has increased among the migrants family back home.
• The shortage of manpower for agricultural work has left the agricultural land less cultivated or
even barren, thus resulting low productivity.
• There is increasing in the demand for imported goods.
• People are often cheated and have been economically exploited by brokers for sending them to
foreign country.
• Migration though release remittance to place or origin, there is negative side of effects that
households heavily rely on remittance as source of income.
• Migrants may bring with them the life threatening diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, Hepatitis etc. back
home.
• Migration breeds human trafficking, increased crime rates.
• Cultural identity of a place or a country may be jeopardized.
 Measures to overcome Migration Challenges

Several studies shows that the economy of Nepal has changed from an agricultural
based economy into a remittance based economy. Thus the issues, particularly, of
foreign labor migration needs to be addressed at the policy level, which could
assist in promoting safe migration and the management of labor migration in an
effective way. Some of the measures to overcome migration challenges are:
a. Stop illegal migration
b. Information and awareness
c. Increased domestic employment opportunity
d. Universal quality education
e. Political Stability
f. Focus on agricultural development
g. Establish a standard asylum procedure
h. Recognition and defense of the labor rights of undocumented migrant workers.
i. Demographic unbalance
j. Lack of labor force
k. Demographic impact