Introduction
There are various reasons that motivate people to settle in different locations regardless of the unfavourable conditions that exist in various countries. The presence of investment opportunities in trading, farming, fishing and other practices attract people to move from their ancestral lands and stay elsewhere. However, some factors may force them to move from their locations regardless of their attractiveness. This discussion examines the causes and consequences of forced migration in the modern world.
Definition
Forced migration refers to the intentional displacement of people from one region to another. People believe that they have the right to living anywhere in their country. Therefore, “nobody has the right to force them to leave their homes and look for shelter elsewhere” (Eastmond 2007). Forced migration is a crime because it denies people the right to move freely within their country.
Causes of Forced Migration
There are two major causes of forced migration in modern societies. First, man-made causes are issues that originate from human activity and force people to seek refuge in other locations (McDermont 2009). Political instability is the chief cause of forced migration in most countries. The Arab Revolution and recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine were caused by political instability between different nations that were involved in the war. It is important to explain that the desire to control political activities in a country force politicians to use unethical means to get to power.
Some politicians are power-hungry and get satisfied when they are in charge of distributing resources in their countries. They ignore the need for peace and order in their countries and focus on elections and power. Therefore, their followers do everything they are told by these leaders, and this causes anarchy in their countries. Secondly, negative ethnicity causes conflicts in countries that do not have democratic processes of sharing their wealth (United Nations High Commission for Refugees 2013). People believe that their needs should be addressed before those of others while some think that they deserve better treatment from governments. In addition, some political leaders ignore members of other ethnic communities and allocate resources to their kinsmen.
Natural causes that force people to migrate and become refugees in other countries include disease outbreaks, floods, volcanic activities and drought. It is important to explain that people can live anywhere in the world provided they get medical services, food, clothes and proper shelter (Hollenbach 2014). However, some places are located in remote areas, and it becomes difficult for governments to offer social services to the communities that live there. Therefore, these people will be forced to seek medical services in places that are easily accessible. Governments establish refugee and emergency camps to ensure their citizens get humanitarian services from their departments and well-wishers. It is difficult for governments and well-wishers to stop natural calamities from affecting people living in areas that are prone to droughts, disease outbreaks and volcanic activities (Milner 2014).
Consequences
Forced migration causes hunger, malnutrition and starvation of refugees because they do not have sources of income to buy healthy foods. In addition, some of them die because of hunger, and this increases the number of orphans, widows and widowers in the society. Secondly, refugees may develop mental health problems like stress and depression because they are forced to live in places that are different from their homes (Pipher 2007). They get frustrated when they think about their homes and what they left there; therefore, this makes them sick and unable to feed their families. Moreover, disease outbreaks may occur in refugee camps because of congestion and poor sanitation. Lastly, forced migration creates enmity between groups that are at war with each other. The scramble to own and control natural resources and political power challenges people to fight for a long time; therefore, this causes deaths and injuries.
Host countries experience a lot of challenges when they accept refugees to live in their lands. Research by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (2013) explains that an unexpected migration of people into a country causes misuse and exploitation of social amenities like schools, health facilities and public parks. Nations usually budget for the needs of their citizens and this means that refugees put pressure on social services and make them poor. In addition, host countries are forced to spend more money to take care of refugees and ensure their stay does not affect the lives of their citizens (Agier and Fernbach 2011). There are higher chances that job opportunities may become scarce if refugees take too long before they go back to their country. Lastly, local cultures may be diluted because refugees may affect the lifestyle of their hosts. Therefore, they may introduce bad or good practices, and this will change the behaviour of people in the host country.
Conclusion
Everybody wants to live in a safe and peaceful environment; however, political instability, negative ethnicity, diseases, famine, floods and volcanic activities force them to move to other places and become refugees. Shortage of social amenities, injuries, death and mental health problems affect refugees, and this denies them the freedom of living a healthy lifestyle. Countries that host refugees risk creating unemployment, poor distribution of resources, pressure on social amenities and dilution of local cultures.
References
Agier, M. and Fernbach, D. (2011). Managing the undesirables: refugee camps and humanitarian government. Cambridge: Polity.
Eastmond, M. (2007). Stories as lived experience: narratives in forced migration research. Journal of Refugee Studies, 20 (2), 248-264.
Hollenbach, D. (2014). Ethical issues raised by the plight of refugees and other displaced persons.
McDermont, M. (2009). Outcasts united: an american town, a refugee team, and one woman’s quest to make a difference. New York: Spiegel and Grau.
Milner, J. (2014). Can global refugee policy leverage durable solutions? Lessons from Tanzania’s naturalization of Burundian refugees. Web.
Pipher, M. (2007). The middle of everywhere: Helping refugees enter the American community. Massachusetts: Mariner Books.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees. (2013). World Refugee Day-June 20: Why hold a Refugee Day. Web.