The Impacts of Internal Migration

AP Human Geography

Objective

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe the positive and negative impacts that internal migrations have at their origins and destinations.

Social Impact

Positive Impacts in rural area (origin)

•Reduces overcrowding in schools and hospitals

Negative Impacts in rural area (origin)

•Increases dependency ratio, because young and old are often left behind. •Families may become separated as young adults migrate.

Positive Impacts in the urban area (destination)

•Migrants may become better educated and reduce birth rates and population growth.

Negative Impacts in the urban area (destination)

•Pressure on schools and hospitals •Increased crime

Economic Impact

Positive Impacts in the rural (losing area)

• Reduces unemployment rate• Remittances maybe sent back to families

Negative Impacts in the rural (losing area)

• There maybe a shortage of workers• No investment, no development • Shops may have to shut down due to lower

business

Positive Impacts in the urban area (destination)

•New workers that can fill low paid jobs like factory and construction work •They may join the formal economy and pay taxes

Negative Impacts in the urban area (destination)

• Higher unemployment as migrants compete for less jobs

Political Impact

Positive Impacts in the rural area (origin)

• Less crime and illegal activity due to out-migration, so laws and governance may be able to focus on issues that really can help people like: education, health, the economy.

Negative Impacts in the rural area (origin)

• The reduced numbers of people in a region can reduce the ‘political voice’ of the community

• Lower population = decreased government funding

Positive Impacts in the urban area (destination)

• Political voice becomes more important • Growing cities in LEDCs can attain a dominant

political and economic roles

Negative Impacts in the urban area (destination)

• May result in tension or political unrest • High levels of resentment by minority group

Environmental Impact

Positive Impacts in the rural area (origin)

• Reduced pressure on limited resources. (example: less trees being cut down, less water being used)

Negative Impacts in the rural area (origin)

• With increased money, there could also be increased use of pesticides and fertilizers which can potentially harm the environment.

Positive Impacts in the urban area (destination)

• Increased population could cause government to be more aware of environmental hazards in cities and address those more quickly.

Negative Impacts in the urban area (destination)

• Pressure on resources • The expansion of landfill sites• Air and water pollution from factories,

households, power stations and transportation

Preview of Case Study: Internal Migration Within China

Some Data on China• In 2008, 44% of China’s population lived in cities. • By 2015, urban residents will be the majority • The urban population is growing by between 15-20 million each year. • For decades, the Chinese government has restricted migration

through a household registry system called: hukou or huji. • The system ties residents to their place of birth. They can receive

education/healthcare/services, only where they are registered• Many migrants remain in “half existence” where its hard to settle in a

city, but impossible to remain in the rural area • “Floating Population” (rural people working outside their home) is

estimated at around 132 million people

Videos

• “Last Train Home” Official Trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KjO50bxN54

• “Bejing’s Migrant Construction Workers”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIVhpGJtzzc

• “Bejing Olympic Migrant Workers Cleaned Out”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2llP1o1RMc

• “Chinese migrant workers bring worries home” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLD27HYmYrI