Effects of Migration (Leaving Cert Geography): Revision Notes

Effects of Migration

Migration creates significant impacts that affect both the areas people leave behind and the places they move to. Understanding these effects helps us see why migration is such an important geographical process.

Understanding donor and host regions

Migration affects two main types of areas:

Both types of regions experience positive and negative consequences from migration patterns.

Effects on donor regions

Advantages of emigration for donor regions

Reduction of unemployment rates

When people emigrate from areas with high unemployment, this acts like a safety valve that helps reduce pressure on the job market. Ireland provides a clear example of this pattern during economic difficulties.

This pattern has occurred repeatedly in Irish history, particularly during the recessions of the 1950s and 1980s. Sometimes the emigration of young adults also helps donor countries by reducing birth rates, which decreases the need for future generations to emigrate.

Remittance money

This creates a major source of income for many developing countries. Irish emigrants in America historically sent money back to help their families, and this pattern continues today. The money is often worth much more in the donor country because of lower living costs.

In 2015, Ireland received €1.8 billion in remittance money from emigrants abroad, which equalled 1% of Ireland's total GDP. This demonstrates the significant economic impact that emigrants can have on their home countries.

Acquiring new skills

Many migrants eventually return to their native countries, bringing valuable new skills they learned while working abroad. During Ireland's Celtic Tiger period, many people who had emigrated during the 1980s recession returned home with business expertise they had gained overseas.

These returnees used their new skills to establish businesses in Ireland, which helped attract foreign direct investment from multinational corporations like Microsoft. Similarly, Polish construction workers who returned home after 2008 often used the skills they had developed to set up their own construction companies.

Disadvantages of emigration for donor regions

Brain drain

Most young migrants are economic migrants seeking better employment opportunities. This means donor regions lose their most skilled and talented workers, who were educated at significant cost to the state and their families.

When these educated people leave, the state loses its investment in their education, while their skills benefit the economy of the receiving region instead. This has been a recurring problem in Irish history, with the most recent example being the 2008-2013 economic recession when many emigrants had third-level qualifications or were highly skilled construction workers.

Ireland faces ongoing challenges with young medical graduates, including junior doctors, emigrating to access higher wages and better working conditions abroad. This forces the HSE to recruit increasing numbers of foreign-national doctors and nurses to fill the gaps.

Rural depopulation

The west of Ireland demonstrates how emigration contributes to rural depopulation, creating serious socio-economic problems. When young, skilled workers leave rural areas, these regions become less able to attract multinational corporations or government investment.

As young people emigrate, essential services begin to close down. Post offices, banks and family shops shut their doors. Education and health services are disrupted as smaller numbers of children lead to reduced school enrolments and GP services are withdrawn.

Local community organisations like GAA clubs, Community Games and youth clubs struggle to recruit members or volunteers. Agricultural land is often abandoned because younger generations don't take over family farms. The emigration of people aged 18-30 leads to decreased birth rates, which creates further rural depopulation and decay.

Effects on host regions

Advantages of immigration for host regions

Enrichment of employee skills

Host regions benefit significantly from receiving highly skilled workers who bring expertise to the country or region. This influx of skills makes host regions more attractive to multinational corporations and increases foreign direct investment because companies have access to an adequate skilled workforce.

Many host regions experience labour shortages that are filled by incoming migrants. During Ireland's Celtic Tiger period, immigrants from Eastern Europe filled crucial labour shortages in construction and food processing, which helped fuel economic growth.

Additionally, migrant workers contribute to the economy through paying taxes and increasing demand for goods and services.

Cultural enrichment

Since Ireland joined the EU in 1973, it has become a multicultural society, which has positively impacted Irish culture. By 2014, 11.8% of the Irish population consisted of foreign nationals who have introduced new food, music, dance and customs.

Indian and Thai cuisine are now common examples of how migration has diversified Ireland's food culture. Specialist food shops have opened throughout Ireland, and major supermarket chains now dedicate entire aisles to foods not traditionally found in Ireland. This cultural awareness has actually enriched Ireland's own culture rather than diminishing it.

Disadvantages of immigration for host regions

Lack of integration

Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that the two biggest challenges experienced by migrants in Ireland were language barriers and difficulty 'fitting in'. Over half of immigrants interviewed reported experiencing racism through verbal or physical assault.

This lack of support for integration can lead to serious problems including ghettoisation, discrimination and racism. When immigrants concentrate in specific areas, they may be surrounded by people who share their language and culture, but this prevents them from integrating into wider society and creates the concept of separate parts of towns.

In 2007, the Irish government appointed a Minister for Integration, later replaced by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration. This office develops and implements policies to help migrants integrate into all aspects of Irish society, including schools, workplaces and social activities.

Language barriers

Despite bringing improvements, integration issues like language barriers remain significant concerns. Nearly 40% of migrants report language as their biggest difficulty. Migrants who cannot speak the main language of their host country find it difficult to secure stable, fair-paying employment.

For example, in 2015 it was revealed that migrant fishermen working on some Irish trawlers were paid 50% less than Irish fishermen due to language barriers. These language difficulties also make it challenging for migrant children to access the Irish curriculum or make friends in school.