1b. Global Migration

Question 1

HDI (Human Development Index)
- What is it?
- What measures does it use?

Answer 1

Socio-Economic measure of development
Score from 0-1 combining:
- income (GDP per capita)
- Knowledge (literacy rates & no. children in school)
- longevity (life expectancy)

Question 2

What are migrant remittances?

Answer 2

Money transferred by a foreign worker back to their country of origin to family or friends

Question 3

Advantages of remittances over foreign aid?

Answer 3

Money sent directly to poor families who need money to reduce poverty
Less impacted by economic declines

Question 4

How much money is sent in remittances compares to foreign aid?

Answer 4

Remittances = $413 billion
Foreign aid = $135 billion

Question 5

What do poor families spend remittances on?

Answer 5

• education
• surgeries
• business
• homes

Question 6

Top remittance receiving countries

Answer 6

• India = 72.2 billion
• China
• Mexico

Question 7

What is the relationship between migrant remittances and HDI?

Answer 7

The higher the HDI, the lower value of migrant remittances the country receives

Question 8

What migrants are rich countries attracting? Example of UK and statistic.

Answer 8

• High skilled migrants such nurses and doctors to fill the shortage in UK
• 60% Gambia’s uni graduates now live as US residents

Question 9

What effect does high skilled workers migrating have on the country of origin?
(advantages and disadvantages)

Answer 9

Disadvantage = Causes ‘brain drain’ - lose their most skilled/educated workers, and money spent on educating them

Advantage = they receive migrant remittances and new ideas from returning migrants

Question 10

Positive impacts of migration

Answer 10

• stability
• economic growth
• development

Question 11

Positive impacts of migration: STABILITY

Answer 11

• Remittances of money and ideas (eg democracy, human rights) resolve conflict
• Young population immigrating balance ageing population

Question 12

Positive impacts of migration: STABILITY
Example?

Answer 12

Haiti (poorest country in Western Hemisphere)
Remittances represent 25% of their GDP, mostly spent on education (youths in remittance households more likely to attend private schools)

Question 13

Positive impacts of migration: ECONOMIC GROWTH

Answer 13

• increased taxes from working migrants
• migrant join consumer culture
• migrants fill labour shortage
• remittances cause multiple effect

Question 14

Positive impacts of migration: ECONOMIC GROWTH
Example?

Answer 14

Nepal
poverty rate reduced from 42% to 31% due to remittances invested to escape poverty cycle between 1995-2005

Question 15

Positive impacts of migration: DEVELOPMENT

Answer 15

• skills/knowledge of returning migrants
• migrants create networks/diaspora creating flow of resources/skills

Question 16

Positive impacts of migration: DEVELOPMENT
Example?

Answer 16

India
Benefitting from business in the US, technology companies outsourcing work to India

Question 17

Negative impacts of migration

Answer 17

• conflicts
• inequalities
• injustices

Question 18

Negative impacts of migration: INEQUALITIES

Answer 18

• ‘brain drain’ (loss of young, fit labour force) increases inequality between AC’s and developing countries
• Remittances cause inequality between those who do/don’t receive them

Question 19

Negative impacts of migration: INEQUALITIES
Example?

Answer 19

Africa
60% of Gambia’s uni graduates are now US residents

Question 20

Negative impacts of migration: CONFLICTS

Answer 20

• between host country and immigrants (language/cultural barriers)
• immigrant concentrated areas put pressure on services
• international borders as sites of trafficking

Question 21

Negative impacts of migration: CONFLICTS
Example?

Answer 21

Canada’s talent based policies
Canada attempts to draw most talented US citizens to Canada, causing tension (‘brain drain’)

Question 22

Negative impacts of migration: INJUSTICES

Answer 22

• migrants vulnerable to violation of human rights (eg trafficking, forced labour
• Asylum seekers held in camps in poor conditions with risk of being sent home to risky environments

Question 23

Negative impacts of migration: INJUSTICES
Example?

Answer 23

‘The Jungle’ in Calais
Refugee camp, long stretches of barbed wire to stop asylum seekers (treated badly in poor conditions)