Showing papers on "Human migration published in 2017"

The Beaker Phenomenon And The Genomic Transformation Of Northwest Europe

Abstract: Bell Beaker pottery spread across western and central Europe beginning around 2750 BCE before disappearing between 2200-1800 BCE. The mechanism of its expansion is a topic of long-standing debate, with support for both cultural diffusion and human migration. We present new genome-wide ancient DNA data from 170 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 100 Beaker-associated individuals. In contrast to the Corded Ware Complex, which has previously been identified as arriving in central Europe following migration from the east, we observe limited genetic affinity between Iberian and central European Beaker Complex-associated individuals, and thus exclude migration as a significant mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, human migration did have an important role in the further dissemination of the Beaker Complex, which we document most clearly in Britain using data from 80 newly reported individuals dating to 3900-1200 BCE. British Neolithic farmers were genetically similar to contemporary populations in continental Europe and in particular to Neolithic Iberians, suggesting that a portion of the farmer ancestry in Britain came from the Mediterranean rather than the Danubian route of farming expansion. Beginning with the Beaker period, and continuing through the Bronze Age, all British individuals harboured high proportions of Steppe ancestry and were genetically closely related to Beaker-associated individuals from the Lower Rhine area. We use these observations to show that the spread of the Beaker Complex to Britain was mediated by migration from the continent that replaced >90% of Britain9s Neolithic gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the process that brought Steppe ancestry into central and northern Europe 400 years earlier.

International Migration Report 2015: Highlights

Abstract: M ISREADING M OBILITY ?: B UREAUCRATIC P OLITICS AND B LINDNESS IN UN M IGRATION R EPORTS Loren B. Landau and E. Tendayi Achiume United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division International Migration Report 2015: Highlights. New York: UNDESA, 2016. UNHCR Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015. Geneva: UNHCR, 2016. INTRODUCTION The past year’s events acutely illustrate the power of human migration. Movements across and within borders can reshape lives and families. The popular and political responses they engender can also catalyse fundamental political reorderings (see Bremner 2015; Kanter, 2015). Few will deny such power in countries bordering Syria, Iraq and Somalia that face millions of new arrivals who are actively, if unwittingly, reshaping their populations (see Aziz 2016; Yarnell, 2016). Yet across all world regions, people’s movements are at the centre of political debate and policy making in ways previously unseen: the Brexit vote; challenges to Angela Merkel’s tenure; promises to build ‘an impenetrable and beautiful’ wall between the United States and Mexico (ITV, 2016a); riots in Singapore; and South Africa’s de facto withdrawal from its obligations under the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention (Smith, 2016). All reflect reassertions of exclusive nationalism as bulwark against migration’s perceived cultural, economic and physical threats. Simultaneous mobilizations for immigrant inclusions and rights reveal hardening battle lines over the future of sovereignty and society (Edwards, 2015; ITV, 2016b). Two major annual reports from the United Nations could not come at a more propitious time. The first, by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Population Division, is intended to provide ‘the international community with timely and accessible population data and analysis of population trends and development outcomes for all countries and areas of the world’ (UNDESA, 2016). UNDESA’s International Migration Report 2015: Highlights focuses broadly on movement across international borders irrespective of the motivations or causes of that movement. The second is by the United Nation’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and focuses on sub-

Job Changing and the Decline in Long-Distance Migration in the United States.

Abstract: Interstate migration in the United States has decreased steadily since the 1980s, but little is known about the causes of this decline. We show that declining migration is related to a concurrent secular decline in job changing. Neither trend is primarily due to observable demographic or socioeconomic factors. Rather, we argue that the decline in job changing has caused the decline in migration. After establishing a role for the labor market in declining migration, we turn to the question of why job changing has become less frequent over the past several decades. We find little support for several explanations, including the rise of dual-career households, the decline in middle-skill jobs, occupational licensing, and the need for employees to retain health insurance. Thus, the reasons for these dual trends remain opaque and should be explored further.

Migration, Entrepreneurship and Development: Critical Questions

Abstract: This paper poses and answers a number of critical questions about the relationship between migration and entrepreneurship in the process of economic development. In doing so, we show that the standard policy response to migrants and migrant entrepreneurs are often based on an inadequate understanding of migrant entrepreneurs. The questions we pose are the following: (i) Are immigrants really more entrepreneurial than natives? (ii) Are migrant remittances likely to fund entrepreneurship in their home countries? (iii) Are return migrants more likely to be entrepreneurial than non-migrants? And finally, based on the answers, (iv) Does migration matter for development? We conclude that one must avoid seeing migrants as super-entrepreneurs and that the (positive) developmental impact of migration is more significant through other channels. Removal of discriminatory barriers against migrants and against migrant entrepreneurs in labour, consumer and financial markets will promote development in both sending and receiving countries, not least through reducing the shares of migrants that are reluctant entrepreneurs. JEL Classification: J60, L26, O15, F22

Space-time migration patterns and risk of HIV acquisition in rural South Africa.

Abstract: Objective: To quantify the space-time dimensions of human mobility in relationship to the risk of HIV acquisition. Methods: We used data from the population cohort located in a high HIV prevalence, rural population in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2000–2014). We geolocated 8006 migration events (representing 1 028 782 km traveled) for 17 743 individuals (15 years of age) who were HIV negative at baseline and followed up these individuals for HIV acquisition (70 395 person-years). Based on the complete geolocated residential history of every individual in this cohort, we constructed two detailed time-varying migration indices. We then used interval-censored Cox proportional hazards models to quantify the relationship between the migration indices and the risk of HIV acquisition. Results: In total, 17.4% of participants migrated at least once outside the rural study community during the period of observation (median migration distance ¼ 107.1 km, interquartile range 18.9–387.5). The two migration indices were highly predictive of hazard of HIV acquisition (P < 0.01) in both men and women. Holding other factors equal, the risk of acquiring HIV infection increased by 50% for migration distances of 40 km (men) and 109 km (women). HIV acquisition risk also increased by 50% when participants spent 44% (men) and 90% (women) of their respective time outside the rural study community. Conclusion: This in-depth analysis of a population cohort in a rural sub-Saharan African population has revealed a clear nonlinear relationship between distance migrated and HIV acquisition. Our findings show that even relatively short-distance migration events confer substantial additional risk of acquisition

First Islanders: Prehistory and Human Migration in Island Southeast Asia

Abstract: Peter Bellwood is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, which he joined in 1973, retiring in 2013. He has undertaken archaeological research in Polynesia and Island Southeast Asia and is currently involved in projects in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. His most recent books include The Global Prehistory of Human Migration (edited, Wiley Blackwell, 2015), First Migrants (Wiley Blackwell, 2013), Prehistory of the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago (3rd edition, 2007), First Farmers (Wiley Blackwell, 2005), and Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History (co-edited, 2005). Peter Bellwood is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.

Theories of International Migration

Abstract: Ever since the dawn of the age of mass migration, well over a century ago, scholars have endeavoured to provide general explanations for the phenomenon of human migration, more or less abstracted from its specifi c occurrence. Economics, sociology and geography have been the most propitious disciplinary grounds, but by no means the only ones. The end results of such efforts have been models, analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches, empirical generalisations, simple notions, and only seldom real theories. A number of these explanations were not originally conceived to explain migration, but rather born to explain other facets of human behaviour and then imported and adapted for the explanation of migration. Efforts at theory building have not been cumulative: the relatively short history of theorising about migration takes the form of a string of separate, generally unconnected theories, models or frameworks, rather than a cumulative sequence of contributions that build upon previous blocks.

Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe, 1960-1974: A Multidisciplinary Analysis

Abstract: Groundbreaking in its comprehensiveness, this book illuminates the migration of workers from Turkey to Western Europe with new perspectives previously overlooked in research. Indeed, this is the first study of its kind to cover the entire migration process, making extensive use of primary as well as secondary sources in four languages, and it draws on both the historiography and the social sciences of migration. It presents new analyses of the so-called 'push' factors behind this movement and explores the role of the sending state, the system and channels through which labour exits, the labouring population's attitudes towards moving to the West and the relevance of social networks in the migration process. The volume offers a critical assessment of the significance of Turkish labour migration with regard to the demand for foreign labour in Europe, with particular emphasis on the cases of Germany and the Netherlands.

The centrality of social ties to climate migration and mental health

Abstract: Climate change-related hazards and disasters, known to adversely impact physical and mental health outcomes, are also expected to result in human migration above current levels. Environmentally-motivated migration and displacement may lead to the disruption of existing social ties, with potentially adverse consequences for mobile populations as well as their family members who remain in places of origin. We propose that the disruption of social ties is a key mechanism by which climate-related migration may negatively impact mental health, in particular. Existing social ties may provide social and material resources that buffer mental health stressors related to both prolonged and acute climate events. Preparation for such events may also strengthen these same ties and protect mental health. Communities may leverage social ties, first to mitigate climate change, and second, to adapt and rebuild post-disaster in communities of origin. Additionally, social ties can inform migration decisions and destinations. For example, scholars have found that the drought-motivated adaptive migration of West African Fulbe herders only occurred because of the long-term development of social networks between migrants and non-migrants through trade and seasonal grazing. On the other hand, social ties do not always benefit mental health. Some migrants, including those from poor regions or communities with no formal safety net, may face considerable burden to provide financial and emotional resources to family members who remain in countries of origin. In destination communities, migrants often face significant social marginalization. Therefore, policies and programs that aim to maintain ongoing social ties among migrants and their family and community members may be critically important in efforts to enhance population resilience and adaptation to climate change and to improve mental health outcomes. Several online platforms, like Refugee Start Force, serve to integrate refugees by connecting migrants directly to people and services in destination communities. These efforts may increasingly draw upon novel technologies to support and maintain social networks in the context of population mobility due to climatic and other factors.

An overview of tuberculosis and migration.

Abstract: With nearly one billion migrants worldwide, migration is both a dynamic and a divisive phenomenon facing the world today. Migrants are a heterogeneous group, and the conditions surrounding migration pathways often pose risks to the physical, mental and social well-being of migrants, with certain subgroups being more vulnerable than others. Several determinants of health and tuberculosis (TB) interplay to increase the vulnerability of migrants to tuberculous infection, TB disease and poor treatment outcomes, making them a key population for TB. This article is the first in the State-of-the-Art series of the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease on TB and migration. It provides an overview of migration trends, migration pathways and social determinants, and impact on TB. This article outlines a framework for the prevention and reduction of the TB burden among migrants, adapted from the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy, and in accordance with the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. The framework highlights the need for migrant-inclusive national TB plans, and calls for action across all three pillars of the End TB Strategy for migrant-sensitive care and prevention, bold intersectoral policies and systems supportive of migrants, and operational research. More research is needed on the TB burden and challenges faced by migrants and on the feasibility and effectiveness of approaches proposed here and the scaling up of models already underway. Political commitment at the highest national and international levels will be critical to intensify action for promoting the health of migrants on the road to achieving the end TB targets.

Climate shocks and rural-urban migration in Mexico: exploring nonlinearities and thresholds

Abstract: Adverse climatic conditions may differentially drive human migration patterns between rural and urban areas, with implications for changes in population composition and density, access to infrastructure and resources, and the delivery of essential goods and services. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this notion. In this study, we investigate the relationship between climate shocks and migration between rural and urban areas within Mexico. We combine individual records from the 2000 and 2010 Mexican censuses (n = 683,518) with high-resolution climate data from Terra Populus that are linked to census data at the municipality level (n = 2321). We measure climate shocks as monthly deviation from a 30-year (1961–1990) long-term climate normal period, and uncover important nonlinearities using quadratic and cubic specifications. Satellite-based measures of urban extents allow us to classify migrant-sending and migrant-receiving municipalities as rural or urban to examine four internal migration patterns: rural-urban, rural-rural, urban-urban, and urban-rural. Among our key findings, results from multilevel models reveal that each additional drought month increases the odds of rural-urban migration by 3.6%. In contrast, the relationship between heat months and rural-urban migration is nonlinear. After a threshold of ~34 heat months is surpassed, the relationship between heat months and rural-urban migration becomes positive and progressively increases in strength. Policy and programmatic interventions may therefore reduce climate induced rural-urban migration in Mexico through rural climate change adaptation initiatives, while also assisting rural migrants in finding employment and housing in urban areas to offset population impacts.

Are They Leaving Because of the Crisis? The Sociological Significance of Anomie as a Motivation for Migration

Abstract: This article offers a sociological analysis of the migration motivations of highly skilled people who left Spain after 2008. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, I map the role that the crisis played in highly skilled individuals’ migration narratives. Using the recently emerging migration flow between Spain and Norway as a point of departure, I analyse migration from one of the most crisis-stricken regions of Europe to one of the least affected regions. This analysis establishes that the migrants’ educational and occupational resources help to protect them from the threat of unemployment. Their reluctance to use the crisis as a reason to leave is further analysed as part of their symbolic and social boundary work. The article concludes that what Durkheim conceptualized as anomie provides an apt label for the particular set of societal problems cited by people who migrated from Spain after 2008.

Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes Among Immigrant Women in the US and Europe: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Human migration is not a new phenomenon, but it has changed significantly with the advance of globalization. We focus on differences in the published literature concerning migration and health (EU vs the US), centering specifically on reproductive health outcomes. We conducted a literature search in the Pubmed and Embase databases. We reviewed papers that contrast migrants to native-born populations and analyzed differences between countries as well as challenges for future research. The prevalence of low birthweight among migrants varies by the host country characteristics as well as the composition of migrants to different regions. The primary driver of migrant health is the migrant "regime" in different countries at specific periods of time. Future health outcomes of immigrants will depend on the societal characteristics (legal protections, institutions and health systems) of host countries.

Migration diplomacy in the Global South: cooperation, coercion and issue linkage in Gaddafi’s Libya

Abstract: Despite a recent resurgence in research on the politics of migration, foreign policy analysts have yet to approach cross-border population mobility as a distinct field of inquiry. Particularly within the Global South, scant work has theorised the interplay between migration and interstate bargaining. This article proposes the framework of migration diplomacy to examine how mobility features in states’ issue-linkage strategies, in both cooperative and coercive contexts. Drawing on Arabic, French and English primary sources, it empirically demonstrates the salience of its framework through an analysis of Libya’s migration diplomacy towards its Arab, African and European neighbours under Muammar Gaddafi.

Migration decision-making and migration industry in the Indonesia–Malaysia corridor

Abstract: This paper explores the involvement of migration industry (MI) in the migration system of Indonesia and Malaysia. The two countries share an extensive border and have much in common in culture and history but they are very different in geographical size, population and economic development, the latter being a main cause for labour migration from Indonesia to Malaysia. The changing context of government policies generates new niches for migration services taken up by formal and informal intermediaries, thereby confronting migrants with a varied migration-decision field and thresholds during their migration process. Much of the migration is legal, but a large part of it also takes place outside the control of the national governments. While taking mental processes in migration decision-making as starting point, we analyse how the MI, by way of fostering, facilitating and controlling geographic mobility and localised employment, connects to the production and negotiating of three migration decision t...

Researching migration and enforcement in obscured places: practical, ethical and methodological challenges to fieldwork

Abstract: This paper explores practical, methodological and ethical concerns of research on and in sites where human migration is regulated. There, enforcement practices such as policing, interception and detention are transpiring, but often hidden from view. Access to data about these sites is highly restricted and partial. We draw on recent research about migration and enforcement at sea, in airport waiting zones and on islands where people are detained and have their mobility restricted. We discuss empirical issues to show the complexity of methodological decision-making amid asymmetrical power relations in distinct, yet related settings where human mobility is regulated and borders enforced. One of our aims is to question and complicate notions of vulnerability in places where people are categorized as ‘vulnerable’. We argue that, despite the challenges and complexities detailed in this article, it is extremely important to do this kind of research. Conversations about this work, though difficult, are w...

Climate Vulnerability and Human Migration in Global Perspective.

Abstract: The relationship between climate change and human migration is not homogenous and depends critically on the differential vulnerability of population and places. If places and populations are not vulnerable, or susceptible, to climate change, then the climate–migration relationship may not materialize. The key to understanding and, from a policy perspective, planning for whether and how climate change will impact future migration patterns is therefore knowledge of the link between climate vulnerability and migration. However, beyond specific case studies, little is known about this association in global perspective. We therefore provide a descriptive, country-level portrait of this relationship. We show that the negative association between climate vulnerability and international migration holds only for countries least vulnerable to climate change, which suggests the potential for trapped populations in more vulnerable countries. However, when analyzed separately by life supporting sector (food, water, health, ecosystem services, human habitat, and infrastructure) and vulnerability dimension (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity), we detect evidence of a relationship among more, but not the most, vulnerable countries. The bilateral (i.e., country-to-country) migration show that, on average, people move from countries of higher vulnerability to lower vulnerability, reducing global risk by 15%. This finding is consistent with the idea that migration is a climate adaptation strategy. Still, ~6% of bilateral migration is maladaptive with respect to climate change, with some movement toward countries with greater climate change vulnerability.

Climate change and migration in the Pacific: options for Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands

Abstract: As climate change impacts, particularly rising sea levels, manifest there is a high probability that some island populations will be faced with the need to relocate. This article discusses several discourses around migration options for people affected by climate change impacts in small island developing states. Options currently available to citizens of the Pacific nations of Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are explored, including the perspective that high levels of customary land tenure in the Pacific are a barrier to permanent movement to other Pacific countries. Migration to Pacific Rim countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the USA is complicated by strict migration eligibility criteria, which often require proof of language abilities and income, and may restrict the number of accompanying dependants. The Compact of Free Association provides visa-free entry to the USA for citizens of the Marshall Islands, but the lack of financial assistance restricts eligibility to those with existing financial resources or family networks that can provide access to capital. The difficulty of directly attributing single weather/climate events to climate change hinders the formulation of a definition of climate change-related migration. This obstacle in turn hinders the establishment of effective visa categories and migration routes for what is likely to become a growing number of people in coming decades.

Heterogeneous Climate Effects on Human Migration in Indonesia.

Abstract: We examine the effect of anomalous temperatures, rainfall levels, and monsoon timing on migration outcomes in Indonesia. Using panel data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey and high-resolution climate data, we assess whether intra- and inter-province moves are used as a response to climatic shocks. We evaluate the relative importance of temperature, rainfall, and monsoon timing for migration. Only temperature and monsoon timing have significant effects, and these do not operate in the direction commonly assumed. Estimated effects vary according to individuals’ gender, membership in a farm household, and location. We also analyze climate effects on sources of household income, which highlights the multi-phasic nature of household responses. Results undermine narratives of a uniform global migratory response to climate change and highlight the heterogeneous use of migration as a response to such changes. By extending previous research on environmentally induced migration in Indonesia, we also highlight the sensitivity of estimates to alternative climate and migration measures.

Human migration, climate variability, and land degradation: hotspots of socio-ecological pressure in Ethiopia

Abstract: In Ethiopia, human migration is known to be influenced by environmental change—and vice versa. Thus, degradation of environmental conditions can contribute to out-migration, and in-migration can cause environmental changes at the immigrants’ destination. The aim of our study was to systematically identify regions in which socio-ecological pressures can arise from high population densities, migration, land degradation, and/or rainfall variability. We combined population census data at the district level with high-resolution remote sensing data regarding rainfall variability, land degradation, and land cover. We identified districts in which high population density is coupled with both a steep decline in net primary production (NPP) and large precipitation variability. The affected regions are mainly cropping regions located in the northern highlands and in the central part of the Great Rift Valley. We consider these regions to be particularly prone to environmental changes; moreover, high population density places additional stress on local natural resources. Next, we identified districts in which high in-migration is coupled with both a strong decline in NPP and low rainfall variability, proposing that land degradation in these regions is likely to have resulted from human activity rather than climatic factors. The affected regions include parts of the Awash Valley, regions surrounding Lake Tana, and the mountainous regions between Addis Ababa, Bedele, and Jima. We found these hotspots of in-migration and land degradation are dominantly grasslands regions, which have been characterized by significant cropland expansion during the period studied. Whereas exploring causal relationships between migration, environmental change, and land cover change is beyond the scope of our study, we have pinpointed regions where these processes coincide. Our findings suggest that at the regional scale, deteriorating environmental conditions can be both the cause and the effect of migration.

Prehistoric mitochondrial DNA of domesticate animals supports a 13th century exodus from the northern US southwest

Abstract: The 13th century Puebloan depopulation of the Four Corners region of the US Southwest is an iconic episode in world prehistory. Studies of its causes, as well as its consequences, have a bearing not only on archaeological method and theory, but also social responses to climate change, the sociology of social movements, and contemporary patterns of cultural diversity. Previous research has debated the demographic scale, destinations, and impacts of Four Corners migrants. Much of this uncertainty stems from the substantial differences in material culture between the Four Corners vs. hypothesized destination areas. Comparable biological evidence has been difficult to obtain due to the complete departure of farmers from the Four Corners in the 13th century CE and restrictions on sampling human remains. As an alternative, patterns of genetic variation among domesticated species were used to address the role of migration in this collapse. We collected mitochondrial haplotypic data from dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) remains from archaeological sites in the most densely-populated portion of the Four Corners region, and the most commonly proposed destination area for that population under migration scenarios. Results are consistent with a large-scale migration of humans, accompanied by their domestic turkeys, during the 13th century CE. These results support scenarios that suggest contemporary Pueblo peoples of the Northern Rio Grande are biological and cultural descendants of Four Corners populations.

Managed temporary labour migration of Pacific Islanders to Australia and New Zealand in the early twenty-first century

Abstract: Circular migration was one of several enduring themes in Graeme Hugo’s highly productive research career. Although his specialist field was Asian population movement, during the 2000s he became increasingly interested in labour migration in the Pacific Islands. This paper reviews the development of two managed circular migration schemes targeting Pacific labour that emerged following the UN High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in 2006. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme and Australia’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) have attracted international attention as the kind of ‘best practice’ temporary labour migration schemes that Hugo had in mind when he emphasised the positive contributions that circular forms of mobility could make to development in both source and destination countries. The two schemes have transformed mobility between the participating countries and have played a major role in the negotiations over a free-trade agreement between Pacific ...

All circular but different: Variation in patterns of Ukraine‐to‐Poland migration

Abstract: In many of the “newest” immigration countries of Central and Eastern Europe, temporary migration prevails and rates of migrants' settlement are low. This article examines variations in temporary migration patterns and what distinguishes migrants who choose “more permanent” time–space strategies in such temporary migration regimes. Taking Ukrainian migration to Poland as a case study, and applying cluster analysis to survey data from 2010, we propose an empirical typology of migrants based on parameters of their overall mobility history. The majority consists of circular migrants who can be described as either regular or intermittent circulants. Those who represent more permanent mobility patterns can be termed circular transmigrants and long-term migrants. The latter are more likely than circulants to work outside agriculture, construction, and domestic services—seen as migrant sectors in Poland—and are less involved in family duties in Ukraine. Further, women are more likely than men to be involved in temporary migration for sustained time. The article contributes to the migration literature by proposing a typology of temporary migrants based on detailed parameters of their mobility and by examining how selected characteristics of migrants correlate with their mobility patterns in a temporary migration regime such as posed by Poland.

Cyclone Aila, livelihood stress, and migration: empirical evidence from coastal Bangladesh

Abstract: This paper investigates why households migrated as a unit to Khulna City from the affected Upazilas of Dacope and Koyra in Khulna District, Bangladesh, following Cyclone Aila on 25 May 2009. The study reveals that households migrated primarily because of the livelihood stress that resulted from the failure to derive a secure income like before the event from the impacted areas-other push and pull factors also played a part in their migration decision. Despite all of the Aila-induced losses and problems, all households wanted to avoid migration, but they were unable to do so for this principal reason. The findings also demonstrate that, if livelihoods cannot be restored, some form of widespread migration is inevitable after a disaster such as this one. In addition, they show that migration has the potential to serve as a key adaptive response to environmental events, as evidenced by the improved economic conditions of a substantial number of the migrated households.

Europe's Refugee Crisis, Terrorism, and Islamophobia

Abstract: Spending part of my sabbatical during this past academic year in Europe, I saw firsthand the impact of the refugee crisis, the largest human migration witnessed on the continent since 1945. Normall...

Second-Generation Outcomes of the Great Migration

Abstract: The mass migration of African Americans out of the South during the first two-thirds of the twentieth century represents one of the most significant internal migration flows in U.S. history. Those undertaking the Great Migration left the South in search of a better life, and their move transformed the cultural, social, and political dynamics of African American life specifically and U.S. society more generally. Recent research offers conflicting evidence regarding the migrants’ success in translating their geographic mobility into economic mobility. Due in part to the lack of a large body of longitudinal data, almost all studies of the Great Migration have focused on the migrants themselves, usually over short periods of their working lives. Using longitudinally linked census data, we take a broader view, investigating the long-term economic and social effects of the Great Migration on the migrants’ children. Our results reveal modest but statistically significant advantages in education, income, and poverty status for the African American children of the Great Migration relative to the children of southerners who remained in the South. In contrast, second-generation white migrants experienced few benefits from migrating relative to southern or northern stayers.

What Drives Human Migration in Sahelian Countries? A Meta-analysis

Abstract: The Sahel region has one of the most mobile populations in the world, with migration serving as a common household strategy to increase livelihood and social resilience. However, the Sahel region's population is extremely heterogeneous, and the processes and factors that contribute to migration are complex. Consequently, recent empirical studies yielded conflicting conclusions regarding the processes that drive migration. This study was designed to increase our understanding of the factors that drive migration in the Sahel region. We performed a systematic meta-analysis of English-language literature to synthesise the empirical evidence collected from 53 case studies covering eight Sahelian countries. We analysed the frequencies of a broad range of drivers that affected migration processes during the past three decades. Our results show that the primary impetus for driving migration is a combination of economic and social motivations, which together account for 80% of all drivers that were identified in the case studies. In contrast, only 11% of the identified drivers are related directly to demographic and/or environmental conditions. Moreover, we conclude that the majority of case studies do not explore causation among migration drivers, which clearly hampers our understanding of migration mechanisms taking place in the Sahel region. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Household-level disaster-induced losses and rural–urban migration: Experience from world’s one of the most disaster-affected countries

Abstract: Losses due to natural disasters induce rural–urban migration throughout the world. It is also a major driver of population influx in Dhaka city, the capital of one of the most disaster-affected countries in the world, Bangladesh. While the relationship between natural disasters and migration is evident, the magnitude of household-level losses inducing rural–urban migration has not been widely discussed. This paper approaches this issue based on an empirical study. Using appropriate sampling procedure, a total of 407 households in Dhaka statistical metropolitan area were interviewed. This research finds out that 18.43% of rural–urban migrants in Dhaka city are disaster induced. A sharp drop in income immediately after the disaster is the predominant reason behind their migration. The river bank erosion-affected migrants encountered as high as 89% drop in income, whereas the flood-affected migrants experienced 70% drop. This article identifies five post-disaster components that ultimately determine migration. To conclude, the paper offers several approaches to minimize mass rural out-migration.