Mass migration

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Typical grocery store on 8th Avenue in one of the Brooklyn Chinatowns (Bu Lu Ke Lin Hua Bu ) on Long Island, New York. Brooklyn Chinatown.png
Typical grocery store on 8th Avenue in one of the Brooklyn Chinatowns (布鲁克林華埠) on Long Island, New York.

Mass migration refers to the migration of large groups of people from one geographical area to another. Mass migration is distinguished from individual or small-scale migration; and also from seasonal migration, which may occur on a regular basis.

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History and examples of mass migrations

A specific mass migration that is seen as especially influential to the course of human cultural and anthropomorphic history may be referred to as a 'great migration'. For example, great migrations include the Indo-European migrations to Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia during the Bronze Age, the Bantu migrations across sub-Saharan Africa, Barbarian invasions during the Roman Empire, the Great Migration from England of the 1630s, the California Gold Rush from 18481850, the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural American South to the industrial north during 19201950, and The Great Oromo Migrations of Oromo tribes during the 15th and 16th centuries in the Horn of Africa. UNHCR estimates 14 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims were displaced during the partition of India, the largest mass migration in human history. [1] [2]

The largest documented voluntary emigration in history was the Italian diaspora, which migrated from Italy between 1880 and 1915, with 13 million people leaving the country. [3] [4]

Forced migration

Mass migrations may be forced displacements, such as human trafficking, deportation or population cleansing.

Age of Mass Migration

Historians often identify an "age of mass migration" occurring from c. 1850 to 1914 (sometimes 1940), during which long-distance migration occurred at an unprecedented and exceptionally high rate. [5]

There were three factors that led to the 'age of mass migration'. First, the cost of migration decreased dramatically. Second, the benefits of migration rose (the return on migration was higher in the United States than in other countries). Third, open border regimes encouraged migration. The 'age of mass migration' usually refers to the voluntary transatlantic migration of European peasants and laborers to the Americas.

Immigration from Europe accounted for about 40% of the total United States population growth in the late 19th century. It has been argued that the term should include other mass migrations that occurred in the same period since similarly, large numbers of people migrated long distances within the continent of Asia, most notably during the Pakistan Movement and the subsequent partition of India in 1947. [6] [2]

During open border regimes, immigrants were attracted by the falling costs of migration and higher wages in the United States. Depending on the relative wage premium in the U.S. for high and low-cost workers, as well as the relative cost of migration, the selection of migrants, varied over time and sending country. In the U.S. in the late 20th century, the number of migrants approximately equaled the number of native-born in the labor market.[ clarify ] [7]

The partition of India caused the movement of 18 million people. This caused both religious and civil tensions between Hindus and Muslims. [8] This resulted in the highest casualty rate for one migration according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2014. One million people were killed and 12 million became homeless. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human migration</span> Movement of people for their benefit

Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another, with intentions of settling, permanently or temporarily, at a new location. The movement often occurs over long distances and from one country to another, but internal migration is the dominant form of human migration globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign worker</span> Person working in a country where they do not have citizenship

Foreign workers or guest workers are people who work in a country other than one of which they are a citizen. Some foreign workers use a guest worker program in a country with more preferred job prospects than in their home country. Guest workers are often either sent or invited to work outside their home country or have acquired a job before leaving their home country, whereas migrant workers often leave their home country without a specific job in prospect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Turkey</span>

Immigration to Turkey is the process by which people migrate to Turkey to reside in the country. Many, but not all, become Turkish citizens. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and following Turkish War of Independence, an exodus by the large portion of Turkish (Turkic) and Muslim peoples from the Balkans, Caucasus, Crimea, and Greece took refuge in present-day Turkey and moulded the country's fundamental features. Trends of immigration towards Turkey continue to this day, although the motives are more varied and are usually in line with the patterns of global immigration movements. Turkey's migrant crisis is a following period since the 2010s, characterized by high numbers of people arriving and settling in Turkey.

Transatlantic migration refers to the movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean in order to settle on the continents of North and South America. It usually refers to migrations after Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492. For earlier Transatlantic crossings, see: Norse colonization of North America and Theory of Phoenician discovery of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Catholic Migration Commission</span> International non-governmental organization

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Paleolithic migration prior to end of the Last Glacial Maximum spread anatomically modern humans throughout Afro-Eurasia and to the Americas. During the Holocene climatic optimum, formerly isolated populations began to move and merge, giving rise to the pre-modern distribution of the world's major language families.

International migration occurs when people cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum length of the time. Migration occurs for many reasons. Many people leave their home countries in order to look for economic opportunities in another country. Others migrate to be with family members who have migrated or because of political conditions in their countries. Education is another reason for international migration, as students pursue their studies abroad, although this migration is sometimes temporary, with a return to the home country after the studies are completed.

Emigration from Colombia is a migratory phenomenon that started in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European emigration</span> European-descended people living outside Europe

European emigration is the successive emigration waves from the European continent to other continents. The origins of the various European diasporas can be traced to the people who left the European nation states or stateless ethnic communities on the European continent.

Return migration refers to the individual or family decision of a migrant to leave a host country and to return permanently to the country of origin. Research topics include the return migration process, motivations for returning, the experiences returnees encounter, and the impacts of return migration on both the host and the home countries.

Pakistan is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country. The major Pakistani ethnolinguistic groups include Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, Balochs, Hindkowans/Hazarewals, Brahuis, Meos, and Kohistanis with significant numbers of Shina, Baltis, Kashmiris, Paharis, Chitralis, Torwalis, Hazaras, Burusho, Wakhis, Kalash, Siddis, Uzbeks, Nuristanis, Pamiris, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uyghurs and various other smaller minorities.

Religion and human migration have been intertwined throughout history. Religious demography changes are often the consequences, and sometimes the goals, resulting from mass migration to other territories. Often, political migration aims to establish a territory and governments biased towards and welcoming of sect members. Religious beliefs and practices have served as significant motivations for migration, with people seeking religious freedom or fleeing religious persecution. This interaction of religion and migration has led to the spread and diversity of religions around the world, as well as the emergence of new religious practices and beliefs as people adapt to new environments and interact with different cultures.

Urbanisation in Pakistan has increased since the time of independence and has several different causes. The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. Karachi is its most populous city. In the northern half of the country, most of the population lives in an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan and Peshawar. During 1990–2008, city dwellers made up 36% of Pakistan's population, making it the most urbanised nation in South Asia. Furthermore, 50% of Pakistanis live in towns of 5,000 people or more. Pakistan is one of south Asia's most rapidly urbanising countries, as of at least early 2024.

This article delineates the issue of immigration in different countries.

Human migration is the movement by people from one place to another, particularly different countries, with the intention of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. It typically involves movements over long distances and from one country or region to another. The number of people involved in every wave of immigration differs depending on the specific circumstances.

A refugee crisis can refer to difficulties and dangerous situations in the reception of large groups of forcibly displaced persons. These could be either internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers or any other huge groups of migrants.

Climate migration is a subset of climate-related mobility that refers to movement driven by the impact of sudden or gradual climate-exacerbated disasters, such as "abnormally heavy rainfalls, prolonged droughts, desertification, environmental degradation, or sea-level rise and cyclones". Gradual shifts in the environment tend to impact more people than sudden disasters. The majority of climate migrants move internally within their own countries, though a smaller number of climate-displaced people also move across national borders.

References

  1. "Rupture in South Asia" (PDF). UNHCR. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  2. 1 2 Bates, Crispin (March 3, 2011). "The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies". BBC . Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  3. Ben-Ghiat, Ruth; Hom, Stephanie Malia (2016). Italian Mobilities. Routledge. pp. Introduction. ISBN   9781138778146.
  4. Scotto, Angelo (August 24, 2017). "From Emigration to Asylum Destination, Italy Navigates Shifting Migration Tides". Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved May 20, 2021. Beginning with Italy's unification, emigration trends can be divided into three main periods. In the first period, from the 1860s to the end of the century, nearly 7 million migrants left Italy, primarily for other European countries. Then, from 1900 to 1928, 12 million Italians migrated, mostly toward non-European countries such as the United States, although after World War I emigration within Europe rose again. During the third period, from 1946 to 1965, more than 5 million Italians emigrated, mainly to neighboring countries such as Germany and Belgium.
  5. Eriksson, Katherine; Ward, Zachary (September 6, 2020). "Immigrants and Cities during the Age of Mass Migration". Regional Science and Urban Economics . 94: 103593. doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103593. ISSN   0166-0462. S2CID   225241854.
  6. "Rupture in South Asia" (PDF). UNHCR . Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  7. McKeown, Adam. "Global migrations 1846-1940". Journal of Global History . 15 (2): 155–189.
  8. "Separation: India and Pakistan". Beyond Books - Culture and Geography. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  9. Glenday, Craig (2013). Guinness Book Of World Records 2014 . Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN   9781908843159.

Further reading