Economic changes also contribute to the cause of migration as economic globalisation has encouraged migration as mainly it is the search of employment and jobs. This is particularly the case with skilled workers who move due to the lack of opportunities in the source nations. It can also involve the search for new land and resources such as coal and oil. One main reason in to why celebrities migrate is to avoid high taxation and move to safe haven to protect their earnings.
Social-cultural factors are also a cause as many people want to move in order to be near their friends and family as they may have moved there in pervious years due to personal reasons. One of the main reasons hover is that the improved services and amenities in host countries.
The political factors of migration are that territorial expansion is motivating people towards migration. It can be linked to the economic reasoning behind colonialisation, and is nearly always led by the government.
Environmental factors can also lead to a rise in migration and can encourage voluntary and forced migration. Mostly the rich and elderly people in MEDC’S take it upon their selves to migrate to areas with a more favourable climate and pleasant scenery. However in many LEDC countries migration could be the result of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, etc and this forces people to search for new land houses and food.
Another way in which migration from Mexico to the USA can be classed into is push and pull factors. Push factors are the reasons in which are pushing migrants out of the source area and consequentially pull factors are factors in which attract them to the host country. Firstly I am going to discuss the physical push factors which are causing migration. Harsh climates is one main cause of it which can be suspected in many LEDC’s especially Mexico and can be a huge factor as it can lead to many natural disasters occurring which can leave very devastating results. The pull physical factors which are drastically pulling people to the USA are the scenic quality which the USA has to offer.
Economic push factors are the huge rate of unemployment (40%)which is occurring on a massive scale leads to many people out of jobs and as a result they are unable to cater for there family and necessities. The increasing rate of poverty is also another key factor as people are unable to work an so it leads to more poverty occurring in such countries. The pull factors which the USA is offering is such high standards of living to what they are used to drives many people to the USA and they can live a more better way of life as they are now able to afford it from there higher income.
Social cultural push factors are the fact that there Is housing shortage in Mexico and so many are forced to go because of that. Also they might be bereaving for family as they may have lost them in natural disasters or because of the fact that the life expectancy in Mexico is only 72 years. Poor services and amenities is also another key factor as there is little that Mexico has to offer in ways of amenities. However the USA has far better services / amenities and education which it has to offer and in general Is far improved that Mexico. Another reason may be down to the fact that relatives and friend s have already moved to the USA and so they want to be nearer to them.
The impacts that this migration has on the USA is that Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons. Also Mexicans are seen as a drain on the USA economy as they are causing the USA for services such as health and education. Migrant workers keep wages low which affects American citizens as they can become unemployed as they can employ Mexican to work for them for a far cheaper wage. They cause problems in cities due cultural and racial issues and it can cause conflict between migrants and the USA citizens.
Mexican migrants benefit the US economy by working for low wages. However there can be a benefit to them migrating as Mexican culture has enriched the US Border States with food, language and music.
The impacts which are caused for Mexico are that the Mexican countryside has a shortage of economically active people also many men emigrate leaving a majority of women who have trouble finding marriage partners. Mostly the young people tend to migrate leaving the old and the very young left in Mexico. Legal and illegal immigrants together send some $6 billion a year back to Mexico.
The desert that separates the USA and Mexico can reach 46°C, many people suffer dehydration when they are crossing as water would weigh them down and the border patrol may catch them. In the past 3 years 851immigrants have died and 4,000 have been rescued from the verge of death. Many of these deaths are blamed on the “coyotes” people that charge around $2,000 to smuggle immigrants across the border, but then leave them In the American desert under the sun. An estimated 10,000 people try to smuggle over the border every week, 1 in 3 get caught and those that do try at least twice a year. The runners face other dangers than being caught and sent back though, some people choose to take the 15-hour hike through the night, and they leave masses of litter and abandoned belongings across the desert. Some try to cross the Rio Grande but it has claimed the lives of many people that have gone through it.
In some places the border is marked by a 5m wall, this wall goes for 3000km, other places just have a few stands of barbed wire that have been bent out of shape to fit people through. The Mexican government has given up trying to stop people crossing the border, and has instead started issuing out “manuals” of how to get to America safely; with hints such as ,Not crossing a river alone and at night , Wearing light clothing - "heavy clothing becomes heavier when wet, and this makes swimming or floating difficult" ,Adding salt to fresh water to avoid dehydration and Walking during times of low heat.
The government says, "The guide clearly states that the safe and appropriate way to enter any country is with a valid passport and a visa, and in no way promotes undocumented immigration,”
In summary, migration from Mexico to the United States has accelerated rapidly to the point where about nine percent of the population born in Mexico is now living in the United States. While a large majority (around 80 percent) of all newly arrived immigrants from Mexico are undocumented, only about half of all Mexicans in the United States are undocumented. And while average annual flows from Mexico since 2000 are slightly smaller than in the late 1990s, they remain large and above the levels of the early 1990s. More importantly, immigration from Mexico shows no sign of dropping significantly in the near future, even in the face of post-September 11 security measures and a weakening economy. This continued migration is facilitated by the geographic dispersal of the flow within the United States as more economic niches become available to the newly arriving migrants.
