Why People Move
Ernst Ravenstein formulated the earliest migration laws in 1885. Later push–pull models built on this idea, treating movement as individual rational choices. However, these models predict real flows poorly.
Three stronger theories explain contemporary movement:
- The new economics of labour migration: households send members abroad to diversify risk and secure remittances.
- Dual labour market theory: advanced economies hold a permanent demand for low-wage labour that natives reject.
- A migrant network lowers costs for later arrivals, making migration flows self-sustaining.
| Assumption | Reality |
|---|---|
| Poorest people move most | Movement rises with initial development |
| Most displaced reach the West | Most stay in neighbouring low-income states |
| Migrants are most of humanity | Migrants make up under 4 per cent of global population |
This creates the migration hump. As low-income societies develop, resources rise and emigration increases before eventually falling.
Integration and Demographics
Spain illustrates rapid demographic change. Foreign nationals now comprise 13 per cent of the population, whereas people born abroad make up 18 per cent. This 13 to 18 gap exists because many acquire Spanish nationality.
After arrival, migrants follow distinct settlement paths:
- John Berry identified four acculturation strategies based on cultural maintenance and host-society participation.
- Portes and Zhou showed that assimilation is segmented into different social strata rather than a single mainstream.
- Transnationalism captures how migrants sustain active cross-border ties rather than cutting home connections.
Common pitfall: Confusing different measures of migration. Foreign birth and foreign citizenship measure distinct groups, creating large statistical gaps.