About Immigration

Types

• The two factors of immigration established by sociologists and researchers are called the push factor and the pull factor. A push factor creates a motivation for an individual or group of people to emigrate from their country of origin and travel to another nation. This can be because of economic conditions, war, famine or other causes. The pull factor has to do with reasons why people immigrate to certain countries. If a person believes the conditions or opportunities are better in another part of the world or nation, the person will move to benefit from those chances. Education has become the prime pull factor.
  
  

Features

• Migrant workers and refugees make up a large portion of all immigrants across the planet. According to the International Integration and Refugee Association in 2005, an estimated 3 percent of the global population, a total of 190 million people, are migrants. The largest volume of migrants exist in the Middle East, Europe and South East Asia according to the United Nations. There are an additional 45 million immigrants in North America. The vast majority of migrant workers hail from Asia.
  
  

Benefits

• Immigration can assist countries and nations with problems that they face collectively. If a country is suffering from a small population, such as Israel after World War II, or a native population that the government wants controlled, as was the case in Colonial America, immigration can help a country sustain itself and secure stability. Immigration also offers a diverse population that ultimately helps with social issues, such as racism, and also gives different points of view on how to run a society and economics.
  
  

Significance

• Many countries place barriers to immigration that come in the form of a legal process. This process is designed to limit the volume of immigration to a host country as well as control which immigrants are allowed to enter the country. These laws create a situation in which illegal immigration becomes a social, political and economic problem. Generally, nations where there are large volumes of illegal immigrants, racism and anger amongst the native population is prevalent.
  
  

Considerations

• Many employers mandate immigration as a consideration for employment. Common types of employment where this is true include religious missionaries, international non-government organizations and transnational corporations. Diplomatic services for governments also require relocation to a foreign country. These opportunities usually include a situation in which the job offers better living conditions that what is usually found in the host country.