Effects of Migration (College Board AP® Human Geography)

Migration has political, economic, and cultural effects

The political impacts of migration in the origin country include brain drain and reduced population pressure

Brain drain occurs when the majority of educated or skilled workers leave an area to pursue better opportunities elsewhere

• This results in slowing economic growth and fewer educational opportunities in the country of origin

• Many political, intellectual, and cultural figures may also leave the country in a brain drain, affecting the ability of society to function

• The poor effects on the economy, education, healthcare and society of the loss of skilled individuals can also lead to instability and political turmoil 

• Emigration reduces population pressure because, when people leave an area, the population density is reduced

• As a result, there are fewer demands on:

  • government services

  • infrastructure

  • resources

  • the environment

Political effects in host countries include increasing debates about immigration policy and potential xenophobia

• Large numbers of immigrants into a country may stimulate debates about immigration policy

  • Politicians may focus their campaigns on immigration laws

  • Significant segments of the population may debate immigration and citizenship policies

• Xenophobic sentiment may lead to anti-immigrant backlash and can function as a centrifugal force within a country

Economic impacts of migration on countries of origin include remittances, loss of skilled workers and lower unemployment

Money sent back by migrants to their families in their countries of origin comprises an important part of the economy of developing countries

Remittances can positively influence the economy by increasing household incomes, allowing people to purchase more and stimulating the economy

• Remittances also potentially allow migrants’ families to access better education and healthcare services, improving their quality of life

• Remittances can potentially damage the host country’s economy if it becomes overly dependent on them

• The loss of skilled workers can slow economic development and result in less innovation

  • It may also lead to lower education levels and less access to quality services such as healthcare in the country of origin

  • Host countries benefit from the influx of skilled labor migrants

• When significant numbers of people emigrate, countries may experience less unemployment because fewer people are now competing for the same number of jobs

Economic effects in host countries include increased innovation, increased tax base, and wage changes

• Immigrants may bring new skills to a host country, increasing technological innovation and economic development

  • This is especially true of skilled labor immigrating due to push factors from their country of origin

• When migrants are employed and pay taxes, the overall tax intake of the host country increases

  • This allows for more government services and infrastructure development

• Large numbers of immigrants may affect wages in individual job sectors

  • In jobs requiring less skilled labor, migrant laborers may decrease the wage rate

The cultural impact of migration include cultural diffusion and changing family structures

Cultural diffusion occurs as migrants bring aspects of their culture, including food, clothing, language, and religion with them

• These traits can then diffuse in their host countries

  • For example, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese immigrants to the United States have brought traditional foods

  • These cuisines subsequently became popular and spread throughout the United States.

When individuals migrate, family structures in the country of origin may change

• For example, men might emigrate for work, leaving substantial numbers of single-parent households led by women

• Individuals of working age may migrate without their children initially, leaving households of grandparents and grandchildren in the country of origin

Cultural effects of migration in the host country include the creation of ethnic enclaves, increased diversity and the presence of new languages

• Ethnic enclaves are created when immigrants from a particular ethnic group live together in concentrated areas

• These areas are then characterized by the language, cultural practices, food, and religion of these ethnic groups

  • Little Havana in Miami, Little Italy in New York, and Chinatown in San Francisco are examples of ethnic enclaves

• Ethnic enclaves serve as a place for migrants to feel more comfortable, as cultural customs and social networks are maintained

• Ethnic enclaves also allow for cultural diffusion to the wider community

• Large numbers of immigrants increase the diversity of the host country. The more migrants from more, different countries present in one host country, the more diverse that country will become

  • Immigrants spread their languages, ideas, foods, and music within the host country, making it more culturally diverse

• As immigrants continue to speak their first languages, those languages may spread in the host country

  • For example, the southwestern United States has significant Spanish-speaking populations

  • French is the official language of Quebec due to early waves of French migration