Migration patterns Notes

How Is Migration Classified?

To make things easier to compare, migration can be classified by scale, direction, and choice

Scale: internal versus international migration

1. Internal migration happens within national borders (for example, moving from a rural village to a city).
2. International migration crosses borders (for example, moving to another country for work).
3. Reasons for international migration are often similar to internal migration, such as seeking better jobs, services, and quality of life.

Direction: rural-to-urban, urban-to-urban, and more

1. Common directional patterns include:
   1. Rural-to-Urban migration, driven by employment and services in cities.
   2. Urban-to-Urban migration, often linked to education, specialization of jobs, or housing.
   3. West-to-East migration (or inland-to-coast) in countries where economic activity is concentrated in particular regions.

How Does Uneven Population Distribution Create Strong Internal Migration Streams?

1. Population density varies widely between and within countries.
2. Importantly, a country's average density does not tell the whole story because people often cluster in areas with advantages such as fertile land, good climate, access to trade routes, and jobs.

Case study

China's uneven population distribution

• China has a population of about 1.4 billion, but this population is very unevenly distributed.
• Although the average population density is around 148 people per km², most people live in less than one-third of the country.
• Western and northern China have very low population densities.
  • These regions include the Gobi Desert, the Himalayan mountain range, and extensive dry grasslands.
  • Harsh climates, high altitudes, and poor soils limit farming, transport, and large settlements.
• Eastern and southern China are far more densely populated and economically developed.
  • Major cities are concentrated along the eastern coast.
  • These areas benefit from:
    • A milder, wetter climate,
    • Access to the coast, which supports trade and industry,
    • Fertile river systems such as the Yangtze River Delta, which support intensive agriculture.
• China has also experienced large-scale internal migration, which helps explain today’s population patterns.
• Historically, events such as famine, war, and political upheaval caused population decline in some regions and forced people to move elsewhere.
• However, the most significant movements occurred after the economic reforms of the late 1970s.
• Most of this movement has been voluntary, with migrants seeking:
  • Higher incomes and more job opportunities,
  • Improved access to healthcare and services,
  • Greater personal freedom and living standards.
• Migrant characteristics in urban China
  • Migrants are typically young, more likely to be male, and often have lower level of formal education.
  • They make up around 40% of the urban workforce, especially in manufacturing, construction, and service industries.

Note

When a map shows that population is concentrated in a small part of a country, it often signals strong push factors in low-density regions (limited jobs, harsher environment) and strong pull factors in high-density regions (employment, services, infrastructure).

What Are The Social, Economic, Political, and Environmental Impacts of Migration?

1. To understand migration patterns, you must evaluate consequences for three groups:
   1. Migrants (their opportunities and challenges)
   2. Origin areas (what happens when people leave)
   3. Destination areas (what happens when people arrive)
2. A useful approach is to categorize impacts as social, economic, political, and environmental, and to consider both positive (+) and negative (-) effects.

Impacts on places of origin

1. When working-age people leave rural regions, the origin can experience:
   1. Economic positives: remittances may raise household incomes, improve housing, and fund education.
   2. Economic negatives: labour shortages can reduce agricultural output or slow local business growth.
   3. Social positives: new ideas and skills may return with migrants (sometimes called social remittances).
   4. Social negatives: family separation and changing household structures.

Impacts on Destination Areas

1. Cities and prosperous regions that receive migrants may experience:
   1. Economic positives: larger labour force, more production, and faster growth.
   2. Economic negatives: pressure on wages in low-skill work and competition for jobs.
   3. Social positives: cultural diversity and a larger, younger population supporting services.
   4. Social negatives: overcrowding, informal housing, and unequal access to services.
2. Political impacts can include debates about who qualifies for social benefits, residency rights, and equal access to schooling and health care.

Is Migration a Problem or a Pathway to Development?

1. Migration can improve lives and drive development, but it can also increase inequality if the benefits are not shared.
2. Whether migration is "good" or "bad" depends on:
   1. Migrants' rights and working conditions
   2. Access to services at the destination
   3. Opportunities for those who stay behind
   4. How governments manage rapid urban growth