Evaluate the view that increased globalisation inevitably results in international migration.
Globalisation refers to the deepening integration of economies, societies, and technologies across
international borders, driven by trade liberalisation, technological advances, and mobility of labour
and capital. It creates channels—such as information flows, global value chains, and transnational
networks—that can facilitate international migration, but the extent of migration depends heavily
on national policy settings and demographic needs
Firstly, one the strongest examples of how increased globalisation has resulted in increased
international migration is the Schengen Area. This area has a principle of free movement which has
significantly influenced intra-European migration, facilitating daily cross-border commuting and long-
term relocations for work and lifestyle reasons. In 2023, there were approximately 1.8 million cross-
border workers in the EU, an increase of 3% compared to 2022. France had the highest number of
cross-border workers, with 465,000, followed by Germany with 252,000, and Poland with 230,000.
Luxembourg stands out, where cross-border EU workers make up 47% of the total workforce,
primarily coming from France, Germany, and Belgium. Intra-EU migration patterns reveal that
citizens from countries like Romania, Italy, and Poland are among the largest groups relocating
within the EU, often seeking employment opportunities in nations such as Germany, Spain, and
France. Germany hosts the greatest number of intra-EU migrants, with over 4.5 million non-German
EU citizens living in the country. The expansion of the Schengen Area, with Bulgaria and Romania
achieving full membership in 2024, has further enhanced mobility, allowing for ID check-free travel
and potentially stimulating economic activities in these regions. However, challenges persist,
including the reintroduction of border controls by some countries in response to security concerns
and migration pressures, which may impact the future dynamics of free movement within the
Schengen Zone. However overall these factors still demonstrate how increased globalisation has
resulted in increased amounts of international migration
Globalisation's impact on international migration is demonstrated by contrasting immigration
policies by both Australia and Japan which show both increased and decreased amounts of
international migration because of this, Australia has embraced globalisation to reinforce its
population and economy through managed migration. In the 2023–24 financial year, net overseas
migration was 446,000, with 667,000 arrivals and 221,000 departures. Temporary students formed
the largest group of arrivals, numbering 207,000 . This migration supports Australia's population
growth, which reached 27.2 million in 2023, growing at 1.6% annually, and addresses labour
shortages in sectors like healthcare and construction. Additionally it significantly aid Australia as
between 2015 and 2050, skilled immigrants are expected to grow the nations GDP by $1.2 trillion.
And Australia would otherwise have an ageing population if weren’t for the immigration policy
which they adapted. However, Japan maintains strict immigration policies, aiming to preserve
cultural homogeneity. In 2023, Japan received 13,823 refugee applications but approved only 303,
reflecting a low acceptance rate . Despite a record 3.5 million foreign residents as of June 2024, they
constitute just 2.9% of the population . Japan's total population declined by 0.7 million to 124.9
million in 2023, with over 30% aged 65 or older . These figures illustrate Japan's cautious stance on
immigration, even amid demographic challenges, highlighting that globalisation does not
consistently lead to increased migration across nations. All of these factors therefore demonstrate
the mixed impact that globalisation has on international migration. In some areas increasing and
other not.
However on the other hand there are also examples of the effects where increased globalisation has
changed domestic policies leading to the shaping of migration patterns. The hukou system, which
established in the 1950s, has long regulated internal migration by categorizing citizens as either rural
or urban residents, significantly influencing access to social services and reducing rural to urban
,migration in China as well as limiting to the outflow of Chinese citizens abroad therefore still
impacting international migration but decreasing it.For example, as of 2023, there were
approximately 297.5 million rural–urban migrants, accounting for over 21% of China's total
population. Despite urbanization efforts, only 66.16% of the population resided in urban areas by the
end of 2023, indicating ongoing challenges in fully integrating migrants into urban settings. The
floating population, individuals living outside their registered hukou location, reached 376 million in
2020, with 88.1% moving to cities and towns. Reforms have aimed to address these disparities; for
instance, between 2021 and 2023, over 40 million rural migrants obtained urban hukou, reflecting
efforts to integrate migrants into urban settings. However, significant gaps remain, as many migrants
still face limited access to education, healthcare, and housing due to their hukou status. The hukou
system continues to pose challenges to equitable urban integration and social mobility in China.
Therefore by restricting rural residents' access to urban services and benefits, the system has
historically limited their opportunities for upward mobility within China and for international
migration to take place out of China, demonstrating how in some cases globalisation has not led to
increased international migration.
In conclusion, overall increased globalisation has definitely had a large impact and increased
international migration/encouraged it in my places globally with the best example being in the
Schengen area in Europe. This is because it promoted free migration between the countries
internationally. Additionally in some countries such as Australia, their immigration policies have
been better as a result of globalisation creating more international migration to there. But in some
cases the immigration policies haven’t got much better like in Japan but they are still slowly getting
more lenient which is slightly due to globalisation. Additionally there are restrictions in areas such as
China with the Hukou system which haven’t promoted migration too much either. But overall
international migration has still been increased to globalisation.
Referring to examples, evaluate the economic, social and political causes of international migration
, International migration is the movement of people across borders and it can be voluntary or forced.
It is driven by a complex interaction of political, economic, and social causes. While economic
migration typically involves the search for higher wages or employment, political migration is often
forced by conflict or persecution, and social causes may include access to education, quality of life,
or reunification with family.
One of the most prominent political causes of international migration in recent years is the Syrian
civil war, which erupted in March 2011. Ongoing political instability, violent state repression by the
Assad regime, and widespread human rights abuses have led to over 13.5 million Syrians being
displaced, with 6.8 million seeking refuge abroad . Many fled due to airstrikes, chemical weapon
attacks (e.g., Ghouta, 2013 which killed more than 1500 people), and fear of persecution by the
government or extremist groups such as ISIS. The civil war has caused over 500,000 deaths, and
infrastructure destruction in cities like Aleppo and Homs pushed civilians to flee not just conflict but
the collapse of basic services. Additionally because of the war over 4.25 million people have been
left homeless in Syrian camps (not including refugees).Furthermore, the migration had a major
impact on Europe as because of the war many Syrians have been forced or motivated to move there
because it is easier to seek asylum as in the UK they are entitled to NHS free healthcare.Additonally,
in the UK they have provided the most aid from the EU-27 at over £80 million, further showing
Syrian migrants pull factors towards the UK which has resulted in over 20,000 to migrate there. In
addition, Germany accepted over 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone, under Angela Merkel’s
open-door policy, while Turkey now hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population
globally. Moreover Lebanon now accommodates about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, making it the
country with the highest number of refugees per capita. All of these factors demonstrate how
political causes can result in large amounts of international migration in countries such as Syria.
A large economic cause of migration has been from Laos to Thailand which is a classic example of
voluntary economic migration driven by sharp gaps in income and job opportunities. Laos is a
landlocked, lower-middle-income country with a GNI per capita of only $2,350 compared to
Thailand’s $7,230. As a result, over 1.3 million Laotians — more than 18% of Laos’s working-age
population — have migrated to Thailand, often illegally, in search of better-paid employment in
construction, agriculture, and domestic work. The Thai minimum wage of around $10–12 per day is
several times higher than the average earnings in rural Laos, where daily wages can be under
$2/day. Migration is often essential to household survival in provinces like Savannakhet and
Champasak. Remittances sent back to Laos totalled $115 million in 2020, forming a key part of the
national GDP and helping families pay for food, healthcare, and education. Furthermore, Thailand
and Laos have a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) which help facilitate legal economic
migration and most Laotians speaks similar dialects mutually intelligible with Thai. However, many
migrants are undocumented, and reports from the International Labour Organization highlight
widespread exploitation, with over 50% of Laotian migrants working in unsafe or unregulated
conditions. This case study of Laos and Thailand demonstrates how primarily economic causes can
result in large amount of international migration
Finally the last cause of international migration are the social causes. One of the best examples of
this is the Polish migration to the United Kingdom. After Poland joined the EU in 2004, the UK was
one of only three countries (alongside Ireland and Sweden) to immediately grant Polish citizens the
right to work. This triggered a major wave of migration: by 2016, over 1 million Poles had moved to
the UK, making them the largest foreign-born population in the country. Social causes played a
critical role — including the desire for improved education, quality of life, and especially family
reunification as there was already an established borough of ethnic clustering from Poland
(Peterborough) which further pulled polish migrants there as some had family already. Additionally,
Polish migrants were drawn by the UK’s stronger public services, including free access to the NHS,
Globalisation refers to the deepening integration of economies, societies, and technologies across
international borders, driven by trade liberalisation, technological advances, and mobility of labour
and capital. It creates channels—such as information flows, global value chains, and transnational
networks—that can facilitate international migration, but the extent of migration depends heavily
on national policy settings and demographic needs
Firstly, one the strongest examples of how increased globalisation has resulted in increased
international migration is the Schengen Area. This area has a principle of free movement which has
significantly influenced intra-European migration, facilitating daily cross-border commuting and long-
term relocations for work and lifestyle reasons. In 2023, there were approximately 1.8 million cross-
border workers in the EU, an increase of 3% compared to 2022. France had the highest number of
cross-border workers, with 465,000, followed by Germany with 252,000, and Poland with 230,000.
Luxembourg stands out, where cross-border EU workers make up 47% of the total workforce,
primarily coming from France, Germany, and Belgium. Intra-EU migration patterns reveal that
citizens from countries like Romania, Italy, and Poland are among the largest groups relocating
within the EU, often seeking employment opportunities in nations such as Germany, Spain, and
France. Germany hosts the greatest number of intra-EU migrants, with over 4.5 million non-German
EU citizens living in the country. The expansion of the Schengen Area, with Bulgaria and Romania
achieving full membership in 2024, has further enhanced mobility, allowing for ID check-free travel
and potentially stimulating economic activities in these regions. However, challenges persist,
including the reintroduction of border controls by some countries in response to security concerns
and migration pressures, which may impact the future dynamics of free movement within the
Schengen Zone. However overall these factors still demonstrate how increased globalisation has
resulted in increased amounts of international migration
Globalisation's impact on international migration is demonstrated by contrasting immigration
policies by both Australia and Japan which show both increased and decreased amounts of
international migration because of this, Australia has embraced globalisation to reinforce its
population and economy through managed migration. In the 2023–24 financial year, net overseas
migration was 446,000, with 667,000 arrivals and 221,000 departures. Temporary students formed
the largest group of arrivals, numbering 207,000 . This migration supports Australia's population
growth, which reached 27.2 million in 2023, growing at 1.6% annually, and addresses labour
shortages in sectors like healthcare and construction. Additionally it significantly aid Australia as
between 2015 and 2050, skilled immigrants are expected to grow the nations GDP by $1.2 trillion.
And Australia would otherwise have an ageing population if weren’t for the immigration policy
which they adapted. However, Japan maintains strict immigration policies, aiming to preserve
cultural homogeneity. In 2023, Japan received 13,823 refugee applications but approved only 303,
reflecting a low acceptance rate . Despite a record 3.5 million foreign residents as of June 2024, they
constitute just 2.9% of the population . Japan's total population declined by 0.7 million to 124.9
million in 2023, with over 30% aged 65 or older . These figures illustrate Japan's cautious stance on
immigration, even amid demographic challenges, highlighting that globalisation does not
consistently lead to increased migration across nations. All of these factors therefore demonstrate
the mixed impact that globalisation has on international migration. In some areas increasing and
other not.
However on the other hand there are also examples of the effects where increased globalisation has
changed domestic policies leading to the shaping of migration patterns. The hukou system, which
established in the 1950s, has long regulated internal migration by categorizing citizens as either rural
or urban residents, significantly influencing access to social services and reducing rural to urban
,migration in China as well as limiting to the outflow of Chinese citizens abroad therefore still
impacting international migration but decreasing it.For example, as of 2023, there were
approximately 297.5 million rural–urban migrants, accounting for over 21% of China's total
population. Despite urbanization efforts, only 66.16% of the population resided in urban areas by the
end of 2023, indicating ongoing challenges in fully integrating migrants into urban settings. The
floating population, individuals living outside their registered hukou location, reached 376 million in
2020, with 88.1% moving to cities and towns. Reforms have aimed to address these disparities; for
instance, between 2021 and 2023, over 40 million rural migrants obtained urban hukou, reflecting
efforts to integrate migrants into urban settings. However, significant gaps remain, as many migrants
still face limited access to education, healthcare, and housing due to their hukou status. The hukou
system continues to pose challenges to equitable urban integration and social mobility in China.
Therefore by restricting rural residents' access to urban services and benefits, the system has
historically limited their opportunities for upward mobility within China and for international
migration to take place out of China, demonstrating how in some cases globalisation has not led to
increased international migration.
In conclusion, overall increased globalisation has definitely had a large impact and increased
international migration/encouraged it in my places globally with the best example being in the
Schengen area in Europe. This is because it promoted free migration between the countries
internationally. Additionally in some countries such as Australia, their immigration policies have
been better as a result of globalisation creating more international migration to there. But in some
cases the immigration policies haven’t got much better like in Japan but they are still slowly getting
more lenient which is slightly due to globalisation. Additionally there are restrictions in areas such as
China with the Hukou system which haven’t promoted migration too much either. But overall
international migration has still been increased to globalisation.
Referring to examples, evaluate the economic, social and political causes of international migration
, International migration is the movement of people across borders and it can be voluntary or forced.
It is driven by a complex interaction of political, economic, and social causes. While economic
migration typically involves the search for higher wages or employment, political migration is often
forced by conflict or persecution, and social causes may include access to education, quality of life,
or reunification with family.
One of the most prominent political causes of international migration in recent years is the Syrian
civil war, which erupted in March 2011. Ongoing political instability, violent state repression by the
Assad regime, and widespread human rights abuses have led to over 13.5 million Syrians being
displaced, with 6.8 million seeking refuge abroad . Many fled due to airstrikes, chemical weapon
attacks (e.g., Ghouta, 2013 which killed more than 1500 people), and fear of persecution by the
government or extremist groups such as ISIS. The civil war has caused over 500,000 deaths, and
infrastructure destruction in cities like Aleppo and Homs pushed civilians to flee not just conflict but
the collapse of basic services. Additionally because of the war over 4.25 million people have been
left homeless in Syrian camps (not including refugees).Furthermore, the migration had a major
impact on Europe as because of the war many Syrians have been forced or motivated to move there
because it is easier to seek asylum as in the UK they are entitled to NHS free healthcare.Additonally,
in the UK they have provided the most aid from the EU-27 at over £80 million, further showing
Syrian migrants pull factors towards the UK which has resulted in over 20,000 to migrate there. In
addition, Germany accepted over 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone, under Angela Merkel’s
open-door policy, while Turkey now hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population
globally. Moreover Lebanon now accommodates about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, making it the
country with the highest number of refugees per capita. All of these factors demonstrate how
political causes can result in large amounts of international migration in countries such as Syria.
A large economic cause of migration has been from Laos to Thailand which is a classic example of
voluntary economic migration driven by sharp gaps in income and job opportunities. Laos is a
landlocked, lower-middle-income country with a GNI per capita of only $2,350 compared to
Thailand’s $7,230. As a result, over 1.3 million Laotians — more than 18% of Laos’s working-age
population — have migrated to Thailand, often illegally, in search of better-paid employment in
construction, agriculture, and domestic work. The Thai minimum wage of around $10–12 per day is
several times higher than the average earnings in rural Laos, where daily wages can be under
$2/day. Migration is often essential to household survival in provinces like Savannakhet and
Champasak. Remittances sent back to Laos totalled $115 million in 2020, forming a key part of the
national GDP and helping families pay for food, healthcare, and education. Furthermore, Thailand
and Laos have a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) which help facilitate legal economic
migration and most Laotians speaks similar dialects mutually intelligible with Thai. However, many
migrants are undocumented, and reports from the International Labour Organization highlight
widespread exploitation, with over 50% of Laotian migrants working in unsafe or unregulated
conditions. This case study of Laos and Thailand demonstrates how primarily economic causes can
result in large amount of international migration
Finally the last cause of international migration are the social causes. One of the best examples of
this is the Polish migration to the United Kingdom. After Poland joined the EU in 2004, the UK was
one of only three countries (alongside Ireland and Sweden) to immediately grant Polish citizens the
right to work. This triggered a major wave of migration: by 2016, over 1 million Poles had moved to
the UK, making them the largest foreign-born population in the country. Social causes played a
critical role — including the desire for improved education, quality of life, and especially family
reunification as there was already an established borough of ethnic clustering from Poland
(Peterborough) which further pulled polish migrants there as some had family already. Additionally,
Polish migrants were drawn by the UK’s stronger public services, including free access to the NHS,
