Migration is a natural process that has been present in the world since the beginning. Each year, millions of people migrate from one country to another, or another region within the same country. In 2017, the number of people living outside the land of their birth reached 258 million. Scientists predict that by 2050, this number will increase to 405 million.
If you are planning to migrate, you need to remember that to enter some of the countries, you will need a specific visa – for example, if you want to migrate to the US. The best thing that you can do before deciding anything is to check on the internet what kind of visa you will need, as it depends on your nationality and the reason for migration. You can do it on several websites like lightmanimmigration.com
If you look at the statistics, you will see that the countries to which people migrate the most are the UK, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the US. On the other hand, the countries that people mostly migrate from are India. Russia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Ukraine.
The reasons for migration are different for everyone. Below, you will find a list of the ones that are the most common. So, without further ado – let’s get to it!
Material situation
People migrate to seek better job opportunities or to escape from a high level of unemployment. They do it to provide a better living for themselves and their families.
The differences between some countries as regards the amount of money people are earning are humongous – for example, in Switzerland, the average salary expectation is $79.000 annually, while in countries like Vietnam or Russia it is around $6.000-$10.000. Makes a difference, right?
Escape From War
Nobody wants to feel in danger. People migrate because they don’t feel safe enough in their own country. It is especially visible in countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where military conflicts are happening on an everyday basis.
When it comes to migration because of war, we can also talk about forced migration. It is a type of movement that wasn’t decided by the people who moved – they did it because they had to to survive. Since 2017, almost 75% (700.000) of the Rohingya population who lived in Myanmar, Asia, crossed the border with Bangladesh to find relief from the conflict.
Nature
People need to realize that climate change also has an impact on the level of immigration. Nature is unbridled, and it can strike at any moment. Sudden storms, tsunamis, or floods are just a few of several natural disasters that make people leave their country or region and seek a new home in a different place.
Personal Reasons
Some people don’t feel good in their own country. It usually happens in very conservative regions. People who are ‘different’ in the eyes of those traditional societies will never feel at home, even if they spend their whole life in one country.
The people who are more likely to move because of personal reasons usually have a different sexual orientation (homosexual, pansexual, asexual, etc.) or practice different religions (Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddism, Judaism, etc.). They are also often victims of acts like bullying or harassment. Other things that can be the reason for persecution are racial differences (especially people with darker skin color), nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Better Healthcare
Usually happens in countries that don’t have the highest level of healthcare or the access to it is limited, and the people who migrate are especially those whose health is not the best, and who are sick. The later ones, in most cases, move to seek remedy to their sickness.
In Europe, it is visible, for example, between Germany and Poland. Polish people move to Germany to get access to better healthcare, as in their country, they usually have to wait for a very long time to go to a public specialist, or you have to pay and go private.
A reverse situation happens in Africa, to which doctors from different countries migrate to bring better healthcare to African people, mostly in the third world countries.
In conclusion, the reasons presented above are just a few. As was said before, for every person, it is an individual matter. If you are interested in finding out more, check the internet or the library – many books have been written about it. All you have to do is a little bit of research.