Impacts on Migrants
- Impacts depend on:
- Who the migrant is - voluntary, forced etc.
- Why they are migrating - job prospects, fear etc.
- Where they are migrating to - urban, internal etc.
- Where they are migrating from - rural, international etc.
- When they are migrating - summer, winter etc.
- How they are migrating - on foot, plane, car etc.
- Setting up and closing down costs of migrating - selling and buying a home or renting, shipping costs etc.
- Impacts can have a positive or negative effect on the migrant and their family with many being similar impacts to all types of migrants
Impacts on different types of migrants
| Migrant | Positive Impact | Negative Impact |
|
Voluntary International |
Wages are higher with better job security A wider choice of job opportunities Ability to support wider family with remittances Better housing and improved facilities |
Financial costs are higher Can mean separation from wider family and friends Problems settling into a new culture Exposure to possible ethnic discrimination There may be a language barrier Regret and homesickness |
|
Voluntary Internal |
Change of lifestyle Maybe cheaper cost of living Different opportunities Urban to rural for extra space Rural to urban for job opportunity Improved availability of health, social and leisure facilities |
Unfamiliar surroundings and sense of loss Lack of, or informal employment Poor or slum housing Victimisation and urban poverty Regret and homesickness Finding and making new friends Limited access to facilities; may have to travel to see a health professional |
|
Forced International |
Safety from conflict Better opportunities Improved education |
Few job opportunities Exposure to discrimination based on ethnic, gender and language barrier Abandonment of family, friends, and home Housed in camps with overcrowding and risk of disease Fatigue and hunger from travel PTSD and other long-term health issues from experience Lack of money and exposure to exploitation |
|
Forced Internal |
Safety from hazards or conflict Improved healthcare Better opportunities Access to facilities Better education Improved housing |
Loss of home, family and friends Loss of sense of belonging to a community Cost of starting all over again Anxiety about finding a new home Fatigue and abandonment Stress of fitting into a new community |
