Outline and comment on the economic and political consequences of migration (15)

Migration affects both the area of origin and the area of destination. The economic consequences for the source country are both beneficial and harmful. The benefits include a reduced under-employment. This is reflected in Latin American countries where migration to the U.S lowers their levels of unemployment. Moreover, many migrants can send remittances home and much of this money is reinvested in the home economy. Examples of this can be seen in the south-Asian migrant population in Blackburn where money has been sent back to support the extended family in Bangalore. However, there are also negative economic consequences for the source community, the main being the loss of a young adult labour force. This makes certain projects, such as large scale buildings, more difficult to orchestrate. Moreover, there are certain regions, such as the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides which suffer from a spiral decline that is difficult to halt. This can leave towns deserted with little rise in births or the economy as the young males leave. The political implications for the source country include of lack of young adult male population which has an implication for birth rates. This can reduce the countries natural population increase and force the government into drafting population policies.

The origin of destination is equally impacted. Dubai was in 2007 the world’s fastest growing city and has attracted up to 10million foreign workers from over 160 different countries. These workers have fuelled a drive in the economy as there is a greater take up of menial jobs. For the host country this labour is often at a reduced cost, thus creating a better profit for the company and tax revenue for the country. Moreover, the cost of retirement is often transferred back to the source country which reduces loss of money through pensions for the state. The political consequences could include less of a need to implement population policies as the migrant communities can fill the economic gaps. Less desirable political consequences are the tensions that are created by a lack of integration between minority migrant groups and the majority population. Examples of this have been seen in the rise of the E.D.L alongside attacks on settled and sojourner Muslim migrant communities.

Countries can’t be homogenised with regards to the impact of migration as it is a fluid and complex process, although social and political elements are certainly influenced in both positive and negative ways.