Migration: Pros and Cons

Migration has been an on going phenomena from past to present. Individuals, families, or groups of people may leave a country voluntarily or involuntarily because of events: harsh environmental or economic conditions (disease, crop failure, excess population), religious persecution, "ethnic cleansing," war, genocide. Or they may be enslaved and taken to a foreign country. Migrants may seek better jobs, freedom, or to preserve their very lives.

There is a wide spread perception shared by big business and the government that a country needs immigrants, first to take certain low paid jobs which the existing population decline to take, second, and more importantly, to overcome skill shortages in the country. Immigrants are then, seen as playing an important part in enabling the Government to achieve sustainable economic development. The effect of immigration on unemployment is negligible and that migrants create at least as many jobs as they fill. Migrants may increase unemployment in certain areas, but this is compensated by their raising the overall level of demand, like housing and household-related goods, needs etc. This promotes both a higher level and a wider range of goods and services produced, stimulating the economy and job growth. Migrants also bring new skills and experience to the recipient country. They help to reduce labor shortages for skilled personnel, and also attract international traders through their foreign knowledge and language skills. Skilled migrants also do not earn a cost to government in education or training, because most migrants come in their youth (20-39), means that they pay the taxes that will help sustain ageing population (mostly in MEDC’s). One main problem is that the movement of skilled personnel from LEDC (developing countries) to MEDC (developed countries), termed the “brain drain”, can have a harmful effect on the donor countries, this emigration deprives the donor country of the skilled manpower that they need. Emigrants can however, assist their country of origin in various other ways:

a) bank deposits – external accounts maintain in the donor country which are financial investments in the donor country economy.