Exodus summary

Depending on where they go, migrants receive different treatment when they arrive in a new country. Some countries are more or less welcoming, while others are less friendly. So what are the reasons for these differences, and what effects do migrants have on their new home country?

The degree to which migrants impact their host country largely depends on the speed of migration. A mass influx of migrants, for example, can make the native population feel overwhelmed and hostile toward the newcomers.

Anyone digging deeper into the topic of migration will at some point come across critics as well as supporters, each side bringing economic arguments to the table to support their own views. So which is correct? It may well be both.

On the one hand, the critics have a point. Migration can result in economic problems for a host country. There is evidence that suggests that some parts of the native population will experience problems due to a high influx of migrants.

As we’ve seen, the effects of migration on the host country can be mixed and unclear. So what is the economic advantage for the migrants themselves?

Before we answer that, let’s look at the cost of migration. In short, it’s an expensive investment that not everyone can afford to make. Just getting to a new country and finding a place to live costs a lot of money.

Though it might seem somewhat baffling, migrants aren’t just the big winners in terms of greater income and productivity; they can also be the biggest losers.

Following an influx of immigrants, the greatest competition for jobs won’t be between immigrants and the native population – it will be between immigrants themselves.

So far, you’ve learned about the economic and cultural impacts that immigrants have on their new homes. But how do migrants affect the political landscape in their countries of origin?

As it turns out, diasporas can have a strong political influence. When migrants move to more democratic countries, many use their new position to try and change things for the better in their countries of origin.

As we mentioned in the previous blink, it tends to be the wealthy and educated who leave oppressive regimes or hopeless economies. If enough educated people leave, a country can suffer from brain drain, or a severe loss of the educated class.

Brain drain is a serious danger for small countries. Research has shown that countries that lose too much of their educated human capital need decades to recuperate and catch up with new technological advances.

Based on what we’ve learned so far about the impacts of migration, what can we say about sound immigration policy decisions, and what does the future of migration look like?

Right now migration is massive, but it won’t stay this way forever. Many people today are leaving their countries because of income disparities, war, famine and other problems that the global community will need to continue working to solve.