Sociology Week 12
Migrant → a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work
or better living conditions.
International migrant types:
- Economic migrants
- Refugees
- Asylum seekers
- Migrant workers
- Seasonal migrants
- Circular migrants
- Unaccompanied minors
- Displaced populations
There are socio, economic, legal, and political differences between these groups, and these
differences are important because they have implications in terms of health
Internal migrants → those who move within a country
Long term international migrants can be categorized into:
1. Voluntary migration
- sustained in well-developed networks that link the demand of business and the supply
of skilled or unskilled labour force.
2. Forced migration
- fuelled by conflicts, human rights abuses and political repression that displace people
from their home countries
Forced migrants can be categorized into:
1. Refugee
- A refugee → a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual
residence: has a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his/her race,
religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,
and is unable or, unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country or
return there, for fear of persecution (UNHCR).
2. Environmental migrants
- Mass migration may result from natural phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, flooding hurricanes and other events that destroy housing disrupt agriculture,
and makes it difficult for the inhabitants to remain in their communities
Forced and voluntary migrants can have similarities and differences,
- Forced migrants may choose their place of refuge
- Voluntary migrants may feel compelled to migrate
Laws now protect refugees and make it the government’s responsibility to provide assistance
and protection to migrants and refugees as well as protect their rights as migrant workers.
, Voluntary migrants
Could have migrated for 2 reasons:
1. Labour migrants
- Many of the current international migration flows have begun with the recruitment and
employment of foreign migrants
- Often guest workers are hired to perform jobs the native population would not do for
low salaries and poor working conditions
- Labour migrants are attracted firstly by active recruitment and continue after these
programs end.
- Many guest workers remain in the host countries, and later on bring their families
- .Labour migration does not end with the end of the formal recruitment programs
2. Family reunification
- Governments often permit close family members of those already in the country to enter
through legal channels.
- This is supported by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights where the family is
defined as the natural unit of society , often family reunification is a cause of still
further migration, in a process called chain migration
- Chain migration → relatives who once established bring other relatives into the host
country
Worldwide phenomenon → 3% of the world population is a migrant
- Sending countries
- Receiving countries
- Transit countries
South Africa is withing the countries with high average annual rate of change in the size
of migrant population. This means that is one of the countries where migrant population is
increasing most rapidly
South-south migration → Globally, most of migratory movements occurs in the south
Migrant → a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work
or better living conditions.
International migrant types:
- Economic migrants
- Refugees
- Asylum seekers
- Migrant workers
- Seasonal migrants
- Circular migrants
- Unaccompanied minors
- Displaced populations
There are socio, economic, legal, and political differences between these groups, and these
differences are important because they have implications in terms of health
Internal migrants → those who move within a country
Long term international migrants can be categorized into:
1. Voluntary migration
- sustained in well-developed networks that link the demand of business and the supply
of skilled or unskilled labour force.
2. Forced migration
- fuelled by conflicts, human rights abuses and political repression that displace people
from their home countries
Forced migrants can be categorized into:
1. Refugee
- A refugee → a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual
residence: has a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his/her race,
religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,
and is unable or, unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country or
return there, for fear of persecution (UNHCR).
2. Environmental migrants
- Mass migration may result from natural phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, flooding hurricanes and other events that destroy housing disrupt agriculture,
and makes it difficult for the inhabitants to remain in their communities
Forced and voluntary migrants can have similarities and differences,
- Forced migrants may choose their place of refuge
- Voluntary migrants may feel compelled to migrate
Laws now protect refugees and make it the government’s responsibility to provide assistance
and protection to migrants and refugees as well as protect their rights as migrant workers.
, Voluntary migrants
Could have migrated for 2 reasons:
1. Labour migrants
- Many of the current international migration flows have begun with the recruitment and
employment of foreign migrants
- Often guest workers are hired to perform jobs the native population would not do for
low salaries and poor working conditions
- Labour migrants are attracted firstly by active recruitment and continue after these
programs end.
- Many guest workers remain in the host countries, and later on bring their families
- .Labour migration does not end with the end of the formal recruitment programs
2. Family reunification
- Governments often permit close family members of those already in the country to enter
through legal channels.
- This is supported by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights where the family is
defined as the natural unit of society , often family reunification is a cause of still
further migration, in a process called chain migration
- Chain migration → relatives who once established bring other relatives into the host
country
Worldwide phenomenon → 3% of the world population is a migrant
- Sending countries
- Receiving countries
- Transit countries
South Africa is withing the countries with high average annual rate of change in the size
of migrant population. This means that is one of the countries where migrant population is
increasing most rapidly
South-south migration → Globally, most of migratory movements occurs in the south
