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Immigration

society Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Immigration is when people move to a new country to settle down. They move to a place where they are not usual residents. These people want to become permanent residents of their new home.

UN Stats
UN Stats

It is different from being a tourist or a short-term visitor. Tourists visit for a little while and then go home. Some people move for work and are called economic migrants. They seek better jobs and more resources to improve their lives.

Migrant-share-2020
Migrant-share-2020

This movement of people can change many things in a country.

Moving to a new place can affect a whole economy. Research suggests it can be helpful for both the sending and receiving countries. Some studies say removing barriers to moving could help world wealth grow a lot. In 2009, people sent $420 billion back to their home countries. This is called remittances.

Migrants in the world 2015-en
Migrants in the world 2015-en

These funds can help developing countries very much. However, immigration can also change things like house prices or rents. It can even change how many people work in certain jobs.

The word immigration was first used in the 17th century. At that time, it meant people moving between new nations without war. We use different names depending on how we look at the move. A person is an immigrant in their new home. From their old home, they are called an emigrant or an outmigrant.

Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier
Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier

This shows how one person can have two different names. History shows us that people have always moved to find new lives.

Many people move around the world today. There are about 244 million international migrants in the world. This is a 41% increase since the year 2000.

Migrant-share-2020
Migrant-share-2020

The United States has the largest number of migrants. It holds 19% of the world's total migrants. Germany and Russia each host 12 million migrants. Saudi Arabia has 10 million migrants living there. Asia added 26 million migrants between 2000 and 2015. Many migrants are also quite young. In Africa, the middle age for migrants was 29.

Immigration can change how schools and hospitals work. Some studies show it can help people finish high school. In the United States, more immigrants can lead to more students finishing school.

Ridley road market dalston 1
Ridley road market dalston 1

However, many people face hard challenges when they move. Some people face unfair treatment in business or housing. Others may face problems with the law or healthcare. Even so, many people work hard to join their new communities. They try to settle in and build a new life.

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🖼️ Images & Media (10)
File:Net Migration Rate, Population Reference Bureau, Current.svg
Net Migration Rate, Population Reference...
File:UN Stats.jpg
UN Stats.jpg
File:Migrant-share-2020.png
Migrant-share-2020.png
File:Migrants in the world 2015-en.svg
Migrants in the world 2015-en.svg
File:1990- Growth in share of population that is foreign-born - by country.svg
1990- Growth in share of population that...
File:Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier.JPG
Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier.JPG
File:Multilingual Pisnice 1858.JPG
Multilingual Pisnice 1858.JPG
File:Ridley road market dalston 1.jpg
Ridley road market dalston 1.jpg
File:Čížov (Zaisa) - preserved part of Iron curtain.JPG
Čížov (Zaisa) - preserved part of Iron curtain.JPG
File:South Africa-Xenophobia-001.jpg
South Africa-Xenophobia-001.jpg
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