Migration | UGC NET Economics – Notes

Introduction

Humanity has been practising migration since the beginning of time. Some people relocate in quest of work or better economic prospects, to be closer to family, or to further their education. Others relocate to avoid conflict, persecution, terrorism, or breaches of human rights. There are currently over 258 million migrants residing outside of their home countries around the world. For a variety of factors, including population growth, increased connection, trade, rising inequality, demographic imbalances, and climate change, this amount is anticipated to rise. For migrants, host communities, and communities of origin, migration offers enormous opportunities and advantages. 

• The movement of people from one area to another, or from one country to another, is referred to as migration.
• Migration occurs when a person or a group of people moves from one location to another, usually across political and administrative borders.
• The rate of migration has an impact on a region’s population growth by increasing or decreasing the number of people who live there.
• Permanent, temporary, and daily migration are all the multi domains of migration.

Factors Responsible for Migration

• Employment: The search for better employment in industries, trade, transportation, and services is the primary reason for intrastate, interstate (migration from rural to urban areas, and urban to urban areas) and external migration.
• Seasonal Migration: People migrate for work in various areas and industries on a seasonal basis.
• People from drought-prone areas, for example, migrate seasonally to work in brickmaking, construction, tile factories, and agricultural work.
• The temporary and usually repetitive movement of a migrant worker between home and host areas, usually for the purpose of employment, is known as circular migration or repeat migration.
• Education: People migrate to urban areas in the case of internal migration and to other countries in the case of international migration for better academic opportunities due to a lack of educational facilities in their home country.
• By 2020, India will have the world’s largest pool of young people; however, there is a lack of job opportunities in India, which leads to qualified people emigrating.
• Lack of security: Political unrest and inter-ethnic strife are also factors that contribute to internal and external migration.
• Forced displacement can also occur as a result of events such as wars and internal political unrest.
• Marriage: Marriage is an important social factor for intra-state migration, and the majority of intra-state migrants migrate from one rural area to another due to marriage in the case of females.
• Environmental and disaster-related factors: Some migrants are forced to relocate from rural to urban areas or from one country to another as a result of environmental disasters such as droughts, floods, and heat waves, which may have destroyed their homes and farms.