Transcript 1.3 Case Study

Population change 3
Case Study - Migration
Eastern Europeans to the UK 2000 - today
1.1 What is demographic change?
• The net change in the population store caused by the inputs of
births and in-migration and the outputs of death and out-migration.
• Global population growth, totals, distribution and density.
1.2. How and why do populations change naturally?
• A study of countries at Stages 2-5 of the demographic transition to
demonstrate variations in fertility and mortality rates, including
infant mortality and life expectancy.
1.3 What is the role of migration in population change?
• Characteristics of different types of migration.
• The economic, social and environmental impacts of migration on
exporting and receiving countries/regions.
1.4 What are the issues of the migration of refugees and asylum seekers?
• The causes and consequences of flows of refugees and asylum
seekers into developed economies both from a historical and
current dimension.
• Housing.
• Repatriation.
• The attitudes and values of migrants and hosts.
• Human rights.
1.5 What are the causes and impacts of changing gender structures?
• Changing gender structures in populations as countries pass through
the demographic transition.
• Social, economic and political impacts of gender structures.
1.6 What are the demographic challenges facing countries?
• The demographic causes and effects of ageing societies including
issues such as dependency, workforce and pensions.
• The issues of high birth rates and high mortality rates
– including AIDS.
• Policies to alleviate the ‘demographic challenges’
Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
It is important that you are able to distinguish between these three categories.
Migrants are people who are moving from one place to another.
Refugees are people who are fleeing for their lives from unfortunate lifethreatening circumstances, either natural (volcano, drought, floods) or human (war,
persecution etc.)
Asylum seekers are people who are trying to enter a country for permanent or
temporary residence using the argument that their life would be in danger if they
were to return to their own country.
Some people are trying to get away from extreme poverty in their own country and
claim persecution but are really seeking economic gain. These are termed
economic migrants or economic refugees.
An example of voluntary
migration
The table is taken from ‘The Sun’
trying to illustrate why so many
people from Eastern Europe have
come to Britain in recent years.
They are obviously economic
migrants. In migrating they are
obviously bettering themselves and
their families back home , but also
contributing to the economic health
of the UK by expanding the economy
here. However there are other effects
such as issues regarding local
unemployment, housing supply,
education for migrants families,
cultural integration etc.
Why are they able to come?
Over the years the European Union has been expanding to take in new
countries.
1957 Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, West Germany, Italy, France
1973 United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland
1980 Greece
1985 Spain, Portugal
1995 Sweden, Austria, Finland
2004 Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia
and Slovenia. (called the A8 – acceding countries), Malta and Cyprus
2007 Romania and Bulgaria
Turkey, Croatia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have also applied
to join.
Within Europe there is freedom of movement for workers, so that UK workers
have the right to go to Germany, Finland etc. to work and workers from others
states have the right to come here.
The map shows the distribution of
migrant workers from the A8, i.e.
the following countries which
acceded to the EU in 2004.
Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia
and Slovenia.
Workers from the A8 had to
register in order to be able to
work here, and so migrant flows
are easily mapped and
monitored.
This map shows the IPPR's
estimates of how many A8
nationals are currently in each local
authority, proportional to the local
population.
Seen in this way, locations with big
total migrant populations - such as
London - have not experienced as
dramatic an influx as other parts of
the UK such as the East of England.
The IPPR has used a range of official
data, including the Worker
Registration Scheme, and its own
research to produce the estimates
This graph shows the number of applications accepted or refused for the Worker
Registration Scheme up to 2007.
Where did they come from?
And what age were they?
The majority were aged 1834 meaning that the UK
was attracting energetic,
enterprising young people.
However other countries
were perhaps losing out on
a good workforce.
Where did they go?
It wasn’t London that received the
vast majority of migrants (against
expectations). Many moved to rural
locations to work in agricultural jobs
(fruit picking or packing). This meant
that many areas without a previous
history of receiving migrants were
now having to cope with a large
number. However many rural
businesses were doing well out of
the hardworking relatively cheap
migrants.
Also some employers had made the connection between where the migrants were
going and the location of airports which offered low cost flights to Poland etc.
In 2003, only three UK airports served Poland: Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester. And
passengers could only fly to and from Krakow and Warsaw.
In 2008, 22 UK airports are linked to 10 in Poland. Many of the flights are with low-cost airlines,
meaning migrant workers can travel to and from the UK with relative ease.
Some 10 million people flew between the UK and the A8 and A2 countries in 2007, a three-fold
increase in traffic since pre-enlargement. This reflects an increase in migration, tourism and
trade in both directions.
What sort of work were they doing?
According to the government the
migrants were working in the sectors
where there was a shortage of local
workers, e.g. agriculture. However in
truth this was not totally true. As can
be seen from the graph there was a
wide range of sectors which received
migrants. Many work in transport,
e.g. Bus-drivers, train drivers,
airports etc.
HOW MANY HAVE GONE?
How long are they staying?
Much of the migration has been temporary as can be seen
from the graphs.
Where are they from?
Economic and social effects?
It is hard to work out the costs to the UK of this migration when
com[pared to the positive elements which occur because of
migration, e.g. extra taxes.
•One major issue which has received attention in the press is the
demand for extra homes for migration, shortage of homes for UK
citizens and numbers of migrants who receive benefits. But
according to the government the numbers are low. Since 2004 only
4,400 migrants have received benefits of any kind.
•Another worry are the number of families who will be following
the workers, who will then be dependent on the country. This figure
has also fallen recently.
This graph shows the number of workers with dependent families.
The advantages and disadvantages of workers from Eastern Europe.
Advantages
Disadvantages
•Young energetic workforce
•A cross section of necessary skills
•Filling gaps in the economy
•Prepared to work for lower wages
•Work long hours
•Share history and culture
•Some are skilled workers
•Promotes the local economy
•More taxes for central government
•Pressure on local jobs
•Conflict
•Racial tension
•Linguistic problems
•Lack of integration
•Pressure on housing
•Pressure on services, e.g. schools
Extra costs to the UK because of Eastern European migration
according to the Daily Mail.