Migration
Migration = The movement of people Immigration = into a country Emigration = out of a country
Migrating to the USA
In 1990, the US Government passed the Immigration Act. The aim of this was to help business attract skilled foreign workers. An annual limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants visas (permits to enter the USA) was set. It was also agreed that 125,000 refugees would be admitted each year.
Anyone who wishes to migrate to the USA has to obtain a visa. There are two types of visa:
An immigrant visa for people who intend to live and work permanently in the USA.
A non-immigrant visa for people who live in other countries and wish to stay temporarily in the USA e.g. tourists, students or diplomats.
The immigration policy of the USA aims to:
Admit workers with specific skills for jobs where workers are in short supply.
Reunite families by admitting immigrants who laready have family members living in the USA.
Provide refuge for people who face racial, political or religious persecution in their own country.
Increase ethnic diversity by admitting people from countries with previously low rates of immigration to the USA.
The USA's immigration laws are applied strictly. The long land border with Mexico is difficult to police, and there are many people who try to enter the country illegally. There are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the USA, of which 57% are from Mexico, 24% from Latin America and 19% from other countries.
Advantages and Disadvantages of immigration
In a survey in 2004, 55% of Americans said that legal immigration should remain at current levels or be increased. 41% said it should be decreased.
Some of the advantages are that:
Immigrants add more than $30 billion to the US economy.
Foreign born workers fill unskilled, low wage jobs.
40% of US PhD scientists were born abroad.
Immigrants are more likely to start up businesses and provide further employment - immigrants start up 40% more new businesses than non-immigrant Americans.
Over their working lifetime, immigrants contribute nearly $80,000 more tax revennue than US-born Americans.
Some disadvantages are that:
Wages are forced down.
Health and welfare systems (education etc.) are put under strain.
Immigrants often live in their own communities and do not integrate into broader American society and culture.
The USA has had some form of immigration policy ever since founding in 1783. Since 2006 more illegal immigrants have settled in the USA than in any other country in the world.
There are now around 37 million foreign born US residents (12.4% of the population), however at least a third of these are thought to have entered the country illegally.
Stupid video really but they had fun and it has some good facts & push/pull factors
Migration from Poland to the UK
The host country is the country where the migrants move to (in this case it is the UK) and the source country is the country the migrants move from (in this case it is Poland).
Take a look at this video about Polish migration to the UK - it can be used as an excellent case study example.
It shows ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL and ENVIRONMENTAL effects on both Poland and the UK.