MIGRATION

Issue No. 1: Seeking for a Better Life

Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. People have moved

from their home countries for centuries, for all sorts of reasons. Most people seek for

better opportunities and greener pastures to feed their family and move out of poverty

while some migrate due to personal reasons. Having said that, a highly important

reason of immigration is the presence of ‘opportunity’, which can be economic

opportunity, employment opportunity, or educational opportunity.

Today, rates of migrating people rapidly and continually rises from different parts

of the world. More and more people tend to move to more developed countries, or

industrialized city areas within countries, where salary is higher and jobs are mostly

considered stable. It is most common for people from rural areas to move to more

competitive urban areas in order to find more opportunities as many of these urban

areas are from developed countries, countries which provide a social network that

makes those countries more attractive for people than less developed countries.

Migrants often move to ensure better opportunities for their family, like sending their

child to a better, safer school or finding a job that would have not only a sufficient salary,

but also important benefits and career growth prospects. In terms of education,

countries like the United States graduate programs supported by evidence have been a

particularly strong attraction for young, talented individuals around the world. According
to The World Happiness Reports, it is said that percentage changes in happiness of

migrants when they move to a new country. Included in these calculations is the; (a)

accepted assumption that migrants’ happiness is usually the same or similar to locals’

happiness, (b) that overall migrant happiness depends equally on both their

destinations' level of happiness and the level of happiness in the origin country, and (c)

that one of the main factors influencing migrant happiness is the host country’s attitude

towards immigrants.

From the above discussion, it is conspicuous that most people are affected by

both pull and push factors not only economically, but also socially. These factors hugely

impart to the growing size of immigrants. In conclusion, many immigrants do believe

that if economic conditions are not favorable and appear to be at risk of declining

further, a greater number of them will probably migrate to countries with a better

outlook. As a matter of fact, these immigrants cannot be blamed for moving as most of

them enter the border for genuine and impeccable reasons such as getting stable

employment to sustain their livelihoods or can be social or personal reasons.

Issue No. 2: Peace and Security

Throughout the 20th Century, wars and conflicts have been predominant and

prevalent and perhaps the most covered by the media due to a large number of

migrants fleeing war and hardship. No wonder it is the second most frequent reason as

to why people flee from their country – because of different problems that may have
cropped up in those regions. Some of these involve political unrest and wars, freedom

and rights reasons, racism, government persecution and more.

Every human being desires to have his freedom, rights, and wants as long as it is

in accordance with the law and as long as it does not humiliate nor deprive human

dignity and rights. Everybody seeks for respect and acceptance from people. Sadly, not

all countries are similar when it comes to Human Rights. Some countries have strict

policies while some have poor justice systems. Most cases of such displacements are

not pre-planned or coordinated with the host community/country putting pressure on the

latter, such as immigration of Syrians to Lebanon or the wave of immigrants that hit

Europe not long ago, both caused by war and terrorism. War causes threat to human

lives and safety so these threats cause refugees to cross international borders to seek

for welfare and security in another country. However, there is no statute holding

countries accountable if they deny seekers entry, causing many immigrants to remain in

uncertainty or to return to their conflict-stricken countries that is why, in the first instance,

these individuals are likely to move to the nearest safe countries which are open and

accepting asylum seekers. The majority of these immigrants are in dire need of

humanitarian assistance due to psycho-medical conditions and violence. Most of the

refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing endemic violence: 79% are mostly from Syria,

Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Central African Republic, Myanmar, Eritrea and Burundi. Moreover, religion slightly

contributes to migration as religious institutions are often at the center of immigrants’

lives because that is where they can find community and support in their new home.
Lastly, natural disasters also are a driving force of the rising level of migrants. Nature

can be so disastrous and powerful. Nature can take a life with just a second. Many

suggest that climate change and its associated natural disasters increase migration.

Migration is considered a mitigation preventing hazards and effects such as sea level

rise, changes in storm or cyclone frequency, changes in rainfall patterns, forest fires,

increases in temperature and ocean acidification that may result in loss of homes or

livelihoods. Many people, therefore, take risks to move to another country or areas

where calamities and disasters rarely occur.

In conclusion, the migration flow is a structural phenomenon that is likely to

continue in the next decades. As long as there is violence there is migration. These

people therefore decide to move to safer and more comfortable regions where they are

heard, accepted, and respected. People are drawn to stable democracies where human

rights and religious freedoms are more likely to be respected. They choose to stay away

from internal conflict and war, natural disasters, famine, persecutions that guarantee

safety and security. People don’t want to be trapped or imprisoned in a dangerous

homeland nor staying in a country prone to many disasters threatening their lives.

Forced migration has become prevalent in this century and people try to survive and live

peacefully.