Immigrant
An immigrant refers to a person who
leaves or abandons their native land and relocates to another region for
various reasons. Immigration involves the relocation of people from their
indigenous setting to unfamiliar regions with an intention of permanent
residence. It is a phenomenon observed in animals, birds and human beings among
many other creatures; for instance, the Africa’s Serengeti wildebeest
migration, a prime tourist attraction in that region. Over decades, people have
moved from place to place for various reasons. Some are attributed to political
reasons, social reasons, religious reasons, economic reasons and academic
reasons. Since historical era, these have been the leading contributors to
immigrations (Anderson 13).
However, immigrants faced several
difficulties in coping with the new surroundings, change of lifestyle and
culture shock among many other factors. Despite these challenges and
difficulties that this process encounters, several incidences of massive
immigration have been evident over years. Therefore, there must be a driving
force behind this movement that has been persistent time immemorial (Anderson 13). The sole purpose of this paper is
to outline clearly the main reasons why people leave their mother countries to
seek refuge in alien regions.
Tony Blair once said, ‘the easy way
to estimate country’s potential is to look at how many people want to reside
and those who want to flee it’. Accordingly, Anderson
(33) illustrates that poverty, human rights abuses, torture, disputes
and global income disparity are among the major contributors to immigration.
Reasons for immigration are as discussed below.
Economic Reasons
Immigration is a trend that can be fueled by economic reasons. Usually
this applies to people living in economically challenging regions who relocate
with the anticipation of acquiring better financial stability. There is a
greater likelihood of people leaving their local countries if they are not
content economically. Often the main contributing factor is the discrepancy
that exists between jobs available and salaries in different regions. The cause
effect of this disparity is the movement of people to seek satisfying
employment opportunities or more rewarding careers.
For instance, third world countries are
faced with economic inadequacy with poor living standards due to lack of better
paying jobs. Many people are jobless despite their high qualifications.
Evidently, a lot of people have emigrated from African countries to the Middle
East countries, U.S. and other developed countries in search of employment.
This is attributed to the fact that they are awarded low wages. Once immigrants
obtain better opening in the new areas, they send the good news back home, and
this encourages more movements. Free trade agreements between different nations
have introduced systems that encourage the process of immigration.
Establishment of multinational corporations in different countries has both
pros and cons. One crucial negative effect is devastation of the local economic
systems making it impossible for people to survive in business. This results in
migration of people to better areas to seek for superior opportunities
(Anderson 57).
Academic Reasons
'Education is the key to success’, ‘the best gift one can give a child
is knowledge’. Most people have the urge to pursue quality education in order
to have better future prospects. However, this determination is faded by the
absence of better educational opportunities and resources in their native
countries. These include world-class universities, colleges, professional
institutes, research centers and libraries. Some countries have an advantage
over others with the blessing of these facilities. Therefore, noone can stop a
determined person with the goal of obtaining knowledge from seeking residence
in such regions. There are large number of African students studying abroad and
despite the high living standards, they go to an extra mile of working while
studying in the name of clinching academic excellence (Dancygier 61).
Natural Catastrophes
Nature is unpredictable. Different regions of the world are predisposed
to natural calamities which make them unfavorable for settlement. Consequently,
the residents prefer to seek refuge somewhere else. Floods, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, drought and severe weather are just but a few to name. For
instance, frequent earthquakes have occurred in the San Francisco region
resulting in massive loss of life and property damage. Other weighty
earthquakes are the Tohuku earthquake and tsunami that claimed thousands of
lives. Metrological disasters such as the Afghanistan blizzard was another
major disaster. Drought majorly causes immigration. For example, the Daabab
region in Kenya, a major outskirt that faced disastrous drought in 2011 which
led to death of livestock and claimed lives of many people. Due to these
devastating effects, many people have sought foreign areas to sustain life of
their own and their property.
Political Instability
This is a situation whereby a country experiences political mayhem. It
is due to political chaos that arises due to disputes between different people
with differing political views. Confrontations between these parties lead to
national wars and insecurities. This may result in deaths, loss of property and
more disastrous turnouts. Many nations are faced with this occurrence; this
reminds us of the fresh-in-mind incident in Kenya, an unforgettable evil during
the 2007 election violence. This arose due to the political disputes between
different political parties with different political opinions (Dancygier 111).
A lot of lives were claimed property
squandered, and the country came to a halt paralyzing economic sector among
others. Therefore, many people fled to neighboring countries for refuge. In
addition, Somalia is among the countries that have been from time to time faced
with political instabilities. Wars and infighting has led to many refugees in
Kenya, and this has a profound negative effect on the Kenyan economy. Among
many other nations are Sudan and Rwanda. Deprivation of peace in these
countries disrupts normal life, business, education, employment, social life
and others. As a result, people travel to foreign countries to evade the
consequences of war and live normal lives (Dancygier 112).
Social Reasons
The social life of a person is a key issue in life. Most people usually
want to associate themselves with up to date technologies. Their native nations
may not be attired with systems that award quality and favorable social lives
as their expectations may be. This has forced people to migrate to seek better
opportunities in other regions. In addition to that, many people have adopted
the habit of marrying from foreign countries. This is due to cultural exchanges
that have taken place over time. People have learnt to appreciate other
people’s cultures. It is a common occurrence presently with many Africans
marrying whites and moving to live abroad.
Religious Freedom
Accordingly, people have different religious views and beliefs. Some
governments provide freedom of religion while others do not. This has been
among the major contributors of immigration. Nations with constitutions that
allow inhabitants to choose their religious ways highly attract many
immigrants. For instance, in the 17th century, the Quakers took off to
Pennsylvania to avoid the laws set up by the Anglican Church, which resulted in
oppression and persecution. Besides, in the 19th century, many Jews had to
leave Russia to avoid the injustice that prevailed in the religious views. This
was also evident in Germany. Due to this fact, lack of freedom of worship and
unsatisfactory religious beliefs have been a major wave contributing to
immigration throughout history.
Population Increase
Population pressures and the surge have led to people seeking newer
regions for settlement. Crowded areas are usually associated with much disease
due to sanitary problems. This is a major conquest for major airborne and
waterborne diseases, which are highly contagious claiming many lives. In
addition to this, housing inadequacies, water and space become profound. The
available resources are overstretched. The less developed countries with low
GDP are first at risk, India among them.
Correspondingly, population growth
has led to poverty. People live in devastating conditions. As a result, many
people flee from these areas to look for greener pastures and uplift their
lives. Among other effects of population increas there is a land pressure. In
some regions most people depend on agricultural practices, both livestock and
cultivation of crops for a living. Due to increase in the number of residents
in these regions, the land used becomes a scarce commodity. As a result, there
is a disruption of the normal livelihood of these people. The available land
may not be enough to sustain the lives of these families. Stiff competition
arises among these people concerning who is to own the land. In addition,
disputes may also arise leading to wars and fights. Therefore, this will lead
to immigration of people to seek more productive land for better living
standards (Lyons 12).
Moreover, population increase leads
to criminal activities due to lack of employment. Most people may not tolerate
residing in such places; hence they tend to relocate to seek more secure
places.
Changing Migration Laws
In the previous decades, migration was a major restriction in many
nations. People did not have the freedom to move freely to other regions. It
was one such hectic process before one was cleared to settle in another place.
Only in a few instances such as academic scholarships, employment and
exploration this was allowed. Such restrictions were due to valid as well as
selfish reasons such as racism. For instance, most African regions were
associated with serious diseases which rendered them unacceptable in European
countries. However, with time this has changed and more flexible laws have been
enacted. Nowadays, people can move and settle freely in most continents of the
world given the regulations are observed. For instance, the Kenyan government
constitution provides an allowance for its citizens to have dual citizenship.
This has greatly impacted the lives of many Kenyans by opening for them
enormous opportunities abroad. They are able to invest both in their own
countries as they settle and work overseas. Equally, many foreigners are able
to apply for citizenship in the developing countries hence providing new
ideologies and economic growth in these nations as they enjoy the thrilling
climates, especially equatorial regions (Lyons
98).
Breaking Social Norms
Every societal setting has the norms and values that dictate how people
are expected to behave in various occasions or situations. Breaching this
pattern of behaviors or ethics results in a negative impact in one's social
life. Some practices are considered vices and evil deeds that would not go
unpunished. These are acts such as rape cases, murder, political harassments,
human trafficking and child abuse among many. In some communities, the
repercussions are dangerous to an extent of losing one’s life. People caught in
these acts of injustice in case of fear of the consequences may be forced to
flee to other regions to evade the punishment. Historically, this is evidenced
by the story of one of the Ugandan president, who oppressed many people of that
nation. A lot of people lost their lives and lived in fear of death. He was a
great dictator who used power to get what he wanted.
As a result, this forced him to flee
for his life when time for people’s revenge came. Therefore, flouting of the social
ethics is a major contributor to immigrations as people try to avoid the wages
of their evil deeds.
Sports as an Occupation
Sports have emerged to be among the most well paying opportunities for
most individuals. This is a talent that pays well. Football, for instance, has
become the most enjoyed game in the world with billions of fans. There are many
talented youngsters out there that have made the sport their sole source of
livelihood. The England premier league, for example, has over a thousand players
from different regions of the world: Africa, America, Spain, Asia, Japan among
many others. Due to the pursuing of their carrier, the players are forced to
immigrate to the home of their clubs with their families. As a result, many
families have immigrated to Europe changing their lifestyles and seeking better
opportunities. However, they are faced with the challenge of adapting to newer
lifestyles as they keep on shifting clubs and thus countries or regions (Lyons 58).
Major Challenges of Immigration
Despite the great opportunities available abroad, immigrants are faced
with a number of challenges. As a result, immigrants may be considered as
courageous people who are ready to face these circumstances. These include
adapting to new cultures and norms, loneliness, expensive living standards and
pressure for financial aid from relatives back at home.
In conclusion, immigration is an
inherent societal occurrence that may be of benefit to people at large. It is a
way that people get to fulfill their life desires economically, socially,
religiously and politically. In addition to that, it has helped the world to
exchange cultural practices and appreciate one another. However, there may be
unsuitable outcomes of immigration such as spread of diseases, bad habits,
economic degradation, and change of cultural believes and norms as well as
brainwashing. These might cause a great negative impact on people’s lives.
Despite all these shortcomings, I believe this process is a savior to the world
since not all nations are blessed with resources that are essential for human
survival. Therefore, suitable laws should be established that govern this
process and allow smooth transitions. By doing this, we are able to cater for
our fellow brethren who are challenged in most aspects of life. Immigration has
always been there and will remain to impact the nations greatly and bring about
revolution and great discoveries.
Resources:
Works Cited
Anderson, Stuart. Immigration.
Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print.
Dancygier, Rafaela M. Immigration
and Conflict in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Lyons, Charlton. Illegal
Immigration: The Consequence of Misplaced Trust. Bloomington Indiana:
AuthorHouse, 2012. Print.
Cozic, Charles P.
Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press,
1997. Print.
Gingrich, Newt. To Renew
America. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Print.
