POPULATION MIGRATION

 CHAPTER03:                                                                      POPULATION MIGRATION

Sometime population migration termed as “population movement”

Population migration refers to population movement from one place to another for permanent or temporary change of residence.

Population migration can be in term of the followings

(i)     Voluntary and involuntary migration (push and pull factors for migration)

(ii)   Short term and long term migration

(iii) Internal and external (inter-region migration)

(iv) Temporally and Permanently

Population migration also can be categorized into two:

         1. According to time;

(i)     Permanent migration

(ii)   Temporary migration

         2. According to locality;

(i)     Rural-rural migration

(ii)   Urban-urban migration

(iii) Rural-urban migration

(iv) Urban-rural migration

Therefore; population movement involved by or influenced by pull factors and push factors. Pull factors and push factors can be physical, economic, social, political and Biological factors. Push factors influence for emigration while pull factors influence for immigration.

Push and pull factors for population migration.

(1)   Physical factor or natural factors

a.       Climate: Moderate temperature, enough rainfall does attract of pull people to emigrate in an area, while harsh temperature poor rainfall (drought) push or force people to emigrant from an area.

b.      Edaphic (soil) factor: Area with fertile or good soil tends to pull/attract people to immigrate, while poor and unfertile soil tends to push/force people to emigrate.

c.       Availability precious metal: The area with minerals acts as a pull factor, like in Geita, Kahama, Mwadui and Merelani in Tanzania.

d.      Presence of Natural Hazards: Like earth quakes, flood, drought, volcanic eruption, storms. Here people forced away or pushed away, but in the area or place with absence of natural hazard act as a pull or attraction to the people to immigrate for this area.

(2)   Biological factors.

o   The area which is free of diseases and pasts attract people to immigrate, while the area or place with presence disease and pests, people tends to emigrate.

(3)   Economic factors (hope of wealth And work for  income and living)

      Lack of income opportunities, employment opportunities in the area,

People are pushed to move to the place where there are these opportunities for human economic development. This situation cause for the rural-urban migration in the country.

(4)   Social factors

                       Presence of relative, social service of the area attracts people, while in absence    

            of relative and social services, people emigrate from such area.

(5)   Political factors

      Peace political system, (political freedom), political stability, Good government policy for settlement schemes, attract people in such place WHILE in the place with political instability like the presence of civil war, tribe war, religions war and harsh political system and policy that discourage people to establish settlement in the area, people are seemed to be pushed away to establish their Residence and settlement in such places. Sometimes there is a forced migration under the influence of the government.

Characteristics of Migration

(a)    Migration is selective:

ü  In terms of age – young people about aged with 20 up to 34 years old are more mobile due to economic reason.

ü  In terms of sex/gender – male are more mobile in a larger distance while female move short distance in rural–urban migration.

(b)   Most of migrant are poor since they move to search for economic opportunities

(c)    Most migrants travel in a specific distance to reach the aimed area.

(d)   The number of migrants decreases while the distance is increasing in along

(e)    Migration is two way process due to the movement of opposite direction of migrants.

(f)    Migration occurs in stager – short movement from one place leaves a chance to be filled by other population from Beyond.

Types of Migration

There are two main types of migration as named below;

(1)   International (external) migration

      Is the movement of people from one country/continent to another. It can be permanent or temporary (short term).

External migration has the following causes

(i)     Chain migration (this is through sequence of events like wars)

(ii)   Short term contract (contract from one country/continent to another)

(iii) Brain drain (is the movement of highly-qualified/skilled people to another country searching for employment)

(iv) Tourism (movement of tourists to another country for different purposes)

Note: All external migration, however, is not voluntary, e.g. slaves, refugees etc.

(2)   Internal migration

§      Refer to the movement of people from one place to another within a country. Can be urban–rural migration or rural–urban migration. Also can be involuntary or voluntary in migration and out migration.

Internal migration can be caused by;   

Long term internal movement

(i)     Moving government office

(ii)   Family matters (moving to see the family like who are working away with their family member)

(iii) Permanent shift

(iv) Short term migration that caused for trade, holiday etc.

Four (4) patterns of internal migration commonly in Africa

(i)                 Rural – Urban

(ii)               Urban – Rural

(iii)             Urban – Urban

(iv)             Rural –Rural

1: Rural-Urban Migration

This is the migration of people from rural to urban areas. Most of migrants in these are youths and energetic people and especially are males.

Reasons for rural-urban migration

      People do move from urban Areas in the expectation of getting job opportunities.

      For the matter of getting better social services

      Getting entertainment

      Getting tertiary education and schooling

      Business activities.

      Getting access with Medias and press.

Impacts of Rural – Urban Migration

(A)      In the source (in rural area) or departure

(i)                 Rural depopulation

(ii)               Economic decline 

(iii)             Shortage of food (food crisis) due to poor Agriculture performance.

(iv)             Breakage of family

(v)               Positive impact – Room for environmental conservation

(B)      In the destination (in urban Areas)

(i)                 Over population

(ii)               Inadequate of social service e.g. supply pure and safe water.

(iii)             Cultural deterioration due to high interaction of people

(iv)             Environmental pollution and degradation

(v)               Incensement of crimes 

(vi)             Decline of industries due to low supply of raw materials  from rural areas (especially agricultural raw materials)

(vii)           Emergence of street children and beggars

(viii)         Positive impact – Led to the supply of labor in rural areas.

Addressing or Solving the Problems Of Rural-Urban Migration

      Reduction and elimination of income differentials between Rural and urban areas.

      Enacting strictly policy – that restrict unnecessary movement of people from Rural to urban

      Creation of many small centers in rural areas as that in urban areas

      Improvement of transport and communication system in rural area

      Provision of good social services in rural areas as those found in urban centers.

2: Urban -Rural Migration

This is the migration of people from urban to rural areas.

Reason for rural-urban migration. 

      People avoid noise and air pollution in urban

      People go back to rural areas after retirement

      For unskilled labor – that faced with a difficulties in urban areas tend to go rural areas.

      Outbreak of terrible diseases in urban area

      Lack of space to allocate large scale of economic activities like large plantations, ranches.

Problems Caused By Urban-Rural Migration

(1)   Outbreak of conflict with old residents due to land deprivation

(2)   Problems of House e.g. High price increase in House in rural areas.

(3)   Lead to land degradation due to deforestation and soil erosion.

(4)   Cultural interference in the urban areas hence outbreak of conflict.

(5)   Increase in pollution due to the increase of number of people

(6)   Increase in crime, which are common in urban areas. 

Advantage of Urban-Rural Migration 

a.       It can stimulate exploitation of resource 

b.      Reduce burden to the government in provision of social services in urban.

c.       Reduce population pressure in towns.

d.      Facilitate the general development in rural areas, hence to reduce economic gap between rural and urban areas.

e.       It reduces of environmental degradation and pollution.

Qn: By giving definition, impacts on origin/departure and impacts 0n the destination; discuss for the following questions;

a.       Rural – Rural Migration

b.      Urban – Urban Migration 

General effects of population migration

Negative effects

1.      Depopulation

2.      Spread of diseases

3.      Draining of skills and technology

4.      Retard production

5.      Decline of manpower

6.      Culture distraction

Positive effects:

1.      Technological diffusion due to interaction of people

2.      Economic development. People remit money to their areas of origin

3.      Facilitate population distribution

4.      Facilitate special interaction and socialization