Migration Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

The general understanding of migration as a description of the relocation of people from one country to another, especially the move from a developing country to a more affluent country, has extended in meaning to the process of these migrants settling down in the receiving countries. Migrant families’ continued stay in their new homeland has changed the focus on migration, so it is no longer thought of as a “temporary” situation. These two dimensions of migration— one as a move from one country to another, and the other as a permanent stay in the new country—bring new challenges for the receiving countries. At the same time, globalization processes increase migration dynamics and affect the sending countries, for which brain drain and the relevance of remittances are cardinal issues.

From Temporary To Long Term

Migration has become one of the central challenges for the future; therefore, its meaning needs reevaluation. Migration as a move from one country to another is, in general, linked to the demands of the labor market in the receiving countries. Since the late twentieth century, industrialized societies have recruited unskilled or poorly educated workers, often from other countries, mainly for low-level jobs in factories and agriculture. Host countries that signed recruitment contracts considered migration a temporary situation. For this reason, many host societies were not prepared for the extended stay of the new inhabitants and the need to address issues of the migrants’ living conditions, education, and language skills.

When the labor market later became saturated with foreign workers, many nations decided to stop the recruitment process or allow their agreements to expire. The governments of the receiving countries expected the foreign workers to return to their home countries at the end of the recruitment period. It should be emphasized that the end of the recruitment process dramatically changed the relationship between the population of the receiving countries and the new inhabitants. Contrary to the political expectations of the receiving countries, most of the workers decided to stay in their new homelands. When describing the identities of the new inhabitants, in particular their descendants, experts often speak of “transnational inhabitants” because of their knowledge of both countries—receiving and sending—and their ability to live in the cultures of both.

Using outside workers to meet labor demands in specific areas changed the makeup of the receiving societies. This change has been accompanied by civil rights movements, which have sought equal rights for the underprivileged immigrant groups. One outcome of these movements has been the opportunity for those with foreign backgrounds to become naturalized citizens. However, the criteria for naturalization depend on the history of each country.

Throughout the recruitment process, migrant workers and their families were referred to by differing names within political and public discourse and in different countries. In Germany, as one example, the new inhabitants were originally referred to as “guest workers” to highlight the temporary character of their stay. After it had become clear the workers and their families would not return to their country of origin in the near future, they were called “foreigners” and later were given the name “migrants.” The changing names for the new inhabitants are deeply linked to their place in society and the majority society’s view toward their new cohabitants.

Cultural And Social Disparities

The term migrant is used for a specific group of people. Migrant embodies the majority societies’ perception of the unskilled workers who have come and stayed and now can command a certain place in society. It should be emphasized that there is a distinction between unskilled workers who have come and stayed long term of their own accord (migrants) and guest workers recruited to come and labor but not live permanently.

Differences in cultural backgrounds increase the gap between the majority society and the new inhabitants. People coming from a different cultural background may be perceived as much more of a “risk” than people from a similar background. Thus, the extent to which migrant groups are accepted in a receiving country depends not only on the perceptions and prejudices of the population of the receiving country, but also on the relationship between the migrants’ receiving and home countries. Furthermore, the relationship between the majority society and its minorities, as well as particular prejudices against certain groups, is often influenced by political and economic circumstances within the country as well as internationally.

Skilled And Unskilled Workers

Unlike unskilled workers, highly skilled and well-educated people who go abroad to work are usually not described as migrants. They are instead seen as “mobile” people able to adapt very easily to varying circumstances. In terms of integration into the majority society, highly skilled workers do not attract as much attention. This labeling of new inhabitants and their descendants as “migrant” or “mobile” illustrates the distinction in prestige and the potential for problems in integration. This difference also indicates who is not seen as a threat to the culture of the receiving country.

The differing views on migrants are principally based on whether the concerned people are considered skilled or unskilled. This difference has been generated because of the permanent stay of unskilled workers, which has made them a visible component of the receiving country.

In the early twenty-first century, governments focus on strict regulation of migration. In contrast to the recruitment process of the twentieth century, the more recent effort of industrialized societies is focused on recruiting highly qualified and well-educated workers. Some countries have considered temporary work and residence permits for selected workers. In order to minimize the possibility of unskilled workers and their families residing long term in the receiving country, nations have developed programs, such as providing limited residence permits, to ensure that the stay of such workers is temporary.

The Future Of Migration

Besides the demands of the labor market, which is one of the important components of migration, a new wave of migration is expected due to climate change, especially in developing countries. Dealing with this new aspect means rethinking concepts of migration and asylum. It is the old question renewed: Will the affluent parts of the world open their doors only for well-educated people, and if so, for how long? The living modalities for migrants and their descendants in these societies can tell us about the fears and the possibilities of each majority society. This will become one of the important indicators of how able these societies will be to face new challenges.

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