Migration is a difficult process to discuss, as it carries a variety of implications, both negative and positive. When considering the results of the process, both the sender and the receiver country must be discussed, as well as the implications for the migrants themselves. Starting off with the implications the process has on the sender country, migration can be considered a largely beneficial process. The decreased number of workers shrinks the labor pool, improving the income of remaining workers, and reducing unemployment (Asch, 1994). Furthermore, if a person moves to a more developed country, they tend to send money back home, supporting the economy of the sender country with additional funds (Asch, 1994). People’s living conditions also improve thanks to the received funds. Notably, however, it should be said that immigration can be destabilizing, as the largest part of the migrant population is young, healthy, working adults with families.
Alternatively, the process also has a number of effects on the receiving country. Firstly, the labor force and the number of people contributing to jobs increase, improving access to labor and the price of services for the general population. Secondly, new migrants both earn and spend money, improving the circulation of currency in the economy and revitalizing it with a constant stream of new people. On the negative side, it should be noted that the migrants may be contributing to the problem of employees being underpaid, as employers tend to treat them worse than native workers. The ability to get workers for cheap from the immigrant population drives the jobs away from other populations. Considering the overall implication of migration, it should be also said that the process can facilitate global inequality. Many people escape the unfavorable conditions of their country by moving away, meaning that qualified and strong individuals are not supporting the development of less advanced nations (Crawley, 2018). The trend reinforces the gap between first-world and third-world countries, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
References
Asch, B. (1994). Emigration and Its Effects on the Sending Country.
Crawley, H. (2018). Why understanding the relationship between migration and inequality may be the key to Africa’s development. Development Matters.