THE RELATIONSHIP OF COUNTRY CLASSIFICATION ON MIGRATION

Damance, Christina T.
AB Foreign Service 201
Political Economy and Geography
Mr. Jumel G. Estranero
THE RELATIONSHIP OF COUNTRY CLASSIFICATION ON MIGRATION

A Research Paper
Presented to the Department of
College of Arts and Sciences in
Lyceum of the Philippines University - Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Service

Damance, Christina T.
June 2022
Introduction

In 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a total of 281
million migrants from around the globe encompassing an approximately 3.6% of the world’s
total population. The number has doubled compared to 1990 which reported a total number of
128 million migrants and tripled since the year 1970, which results to the fact that one in every
thirty (1 in 30) persons are considered as migrants (International Organization for Migration,
2022).

Furthermore, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2021) also
displayed the distribution of international migrants throughout the world, which displays a heavy
concentration of drifters around the areas of Europe with roughly 86.7 million migrants, Asia
possessing 86.6 million, and the Northern America having 58.7 million migrants.

The distribution of migrants across the world shows that there is a high density of
migrants on the areas of Northern America, including Canada, Middle East region including
Saudi Arabia, and Australia which are places deemed as first world countries by the World
Population Review (2020).

Thus, the paper aims to determine if a country’s classification (developing or developed;

first world or third world countries) plays a role in the migration of people from all around the
world. However, in order to ensure feasibility, the research only focuses on one form of
migration, which is the internal migration, whereas only two country classifications are to be
focused on by the investigation, namely the ‘developing’ (third world) and the ‘developed’
countries (first world).

Body

Migration, which is most often defined as the movement of an individual from one place
to another, has been characterized by the National Geographic (2022) into six common types:
internal migration, external migration, emigration, immigration, return migration, and seasonal
migration. Internal migration refers to the movement of individuals within a country or
continent, whereas the external migration has been referred to as the act of moving to another
state, country, or continent. Emigration portrays the act of leaving one country in order to move
to a different country, while immigration solely refers to the movement towards a new country.
Return migration, however, refers to the act of moving back to one’s place of origin, whereas
seasonal migration refers to the movement of a person as a reaction to labor or climate
conditions.

According to BBC (n.d) the movement of people around the world stems from the push
and pull factors, wherein push factors are characterized as the causes as to why people from a
country, region, or a continent leaves the place of origin. Push factors include the inadequacy in
services, safety, high criminality, crop failure, drought, flooding, poverty, and conflicts. On the
other hand, pull factors, defined as the reasons why people reside in a new country or continent,
include higher employment rate, wealth, greater services, better climate, lesser criminality rate,
political stability, arable lands, and lower risks from natural hazards.

In 2020, the International Organization for Migration reported roughly 281 million
migrants across the world, summing up to 3.6% of the global population. 86.7 million of the
increased number resides in Europe, 85.6 million in Asia, 58.7 million in Northern America, 25.4
million in Africa, 14.8 million in Latin America and in the Caribbean, while 9.38 million in
Oceania as per the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affair (2021), as shown
in the figure below.

Figure 1. Data
showing the areas
where international
migrants increased.
 On the other hand, the maps created by the International Organization for Migration
(2021) through the data provided by the United Nations Development of Economic and Social
Affairs (2020) shows the volume of migrants within each country around the world.

Figure 2. Total number of international migrants within each country.

The IOM (2021) also provided a different map through the data provided by the UN
DESA (2021) showing a clearer share of migrants within each country, wherein the countries
with the most migrants include: Saudi Arabia, which fosters 38.6% of migrants among its
population, Kuwait with 72.8%, Oman with 46.5%, Australia with 30.1%, Canada with 21.3%,
and New Zealand with 28.7%.

The map also implies that countries like the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Afghanistan,
and Sri Lanka remains sheltering 99% and above of its jurisdiction, characterized as non-
migrants.
Figure 3. Share of migrants within each country.

The data displayed involve countries that may be classified into two: developing
countries and developed countries. Developing countries, according to an article written by
Surbhi (2020), pertain to countries with a slow phase towards industrialization possessing low
per capita income. Developing countries has high unemployment rate and poverty, where living
conditions and the standard of living are moderate to low, distribution of income is unequal and
are reliant on developed countries for growth.

On the other hand, developed countries has good to high living conditions and standard
of living, wielding low unemployment and poverty rate, equal distribution of income, and has an
effective rate of industrialization and individual income (Surbhi, 2020).

The information and data regarding migration, concentration of migrants, and on

developing or developed countries are to be used as grounds for the study to determine the
relationship of country classifications, (developed or developing countries) on the rampancy of
migration occurring around the world.
Analysis

Through analyzing data provided by the IMO and the UN DESA in figures 1, 2, and 3,
the study led to a discovery that there is a high level of concentration of migrants on specific
areas such as Canada (23.1%), Australia (30.1%), Saudi Arabia (38.6%), and Kuwait (72.8%).
The aforementioned countries, according to the World Population Review (2022), are all deemed
as developed countries with Human Development Index of 0.8 and above. Thus, indicating that
the people favor migration towards developed countries, and are less likely to move towards a
country characterized as being a developing country.

Vargas-Silva (n.d) states in an article published under the Migration Observatory at the
University of Oxford mentions that the migration towards developed countries are driven by the
people’s search for (a) better economic opportunities, (b) quality education, and (c) escaping
violence. Thus, the classification of being a ‘developed’ country serves as a strong influence or
incentive for the people to migrate. In this manner, migration occurs due to the countries being
developed.

On the other hand, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) (2014) states that migration is one of the factors contributing to the economy of
developed countries. Thus, implying that the classification of being a ‘developed country’ stems
from migration.

The data and the information provided thus proves that there is a binding relationship
between the countries’ classification and migration, as the first variable (classification of
countries) affects the second variable (migration), whereas the second variable affects the first
variable.

Recommendation

Throughout conducting the study, the researcher has formulated various

recommendations to the countries and the future researchers about to investigate the concepts of
migration and country classifications.
 To the developing countries, the government and the people should start studying the
aftermaths of losing the constituents, as the consistent increase in migrants may lead to
extremities such as brain drain and lack of manpower, which can result to further deterioration of
the economy and disarray in the country.

The developed countries, on the other hand, faces multiple challenges, as the drastic
amount of migrants settling within the borders of the advanced countries require more political
attention and public services such as public education and access to free health care. The
phenomena also increase the pressure to the receiving countries to create more jobs, which, if
remains unaddressed might result to poverty and hunger.

On the other hand, if the concepts of migration and country classifications pique the
interest of other researchers, it is desirable for the investigators to study the specific types of
migration such as internal migration, seasonal migration, and return migration in order to
contribute information on the areas. Furthermore, the inquirers should also venture the deeper
areas of other or new forms of country classifications.

Conclusion

In conducting the study with the primary purpose of determining the relationship of
country classifications and migration through the use of empirical data gathered from
international organizations and reliable set of researchers, the study discovers that there is a
significant relationship between the variables mentioned. The study determines that developed
countries attract more migrants than developing countries, whereas migration serves as one of
the factors that leads a country towards being developed, hence contributing to the variables’
relationship.
References

BBC (2022) Migration Trends

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8x6wxs/revision/2

Hunter (n.d) Introduction to Human Migration

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/introduction-human-migration/

International Organization for Migration (2022) About Migration

https://www.iom.int/about-migration

International Organization for Migration (2022) World Migration Report 2022

https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the
%20estimated%20number%20of,the%20estimated%20number%20in%201970

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2014) Migration Policy Debates
https://www.oecd.org/migration/OECD%20Migration%20Policy%20Debates%20Numero
%202.pdf

Surbhi (2020) Difference Between Deveoped Countries and Developing Countries

https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-developed-countries-and-developing-
countries.html

Vargas-Silva (2012) Migration and Development

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/primers/migration-and-development/#content

World Population Review (2022) Developed Countries List 2022

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/developed-countries

World Population Review (2022) First World Countries 2022

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/first-world-countries

To One of the Most Unique Professors,

Greetings, Sir Stranger! The term may end but the knowledge that you have provided to your
students are everlasting. I would not like to leave messages stating that “You have been the best
Educator throughout my academic pursuit!” as those type of messages are most often insincere
and are sent just for the sake of bidding farewell.

As I have taken my precious time writing the thesis you have required us to do, I would also like
to take time writing this letter as I adore words very much.

June 18, 2022, during the last class that you have conducted as our Political Economy and
Geography as well as International Organizations professor, I have realized that “Politics is the
art of pursuing the common good through not-so-good means.”. Grammatically awkward, yes,
but I believe that you grasp the gist.

That realization, to be honest, goes against my political beliefs for I, as a Humanities student,
believed for a long time that governing people can be conducted and should only be conducted
through clean means. This takes me back to a time where you mentioned that you favor no sides
in the government, as you will serve the leaders, no matter who sits in the throne. It appeared to
me then that you have accepted that there are flaws in the government but refrains from acting
against it. That made me sick, truthfully, as I have believed that in all matters concerning the
society, people should refrain from being apolitical, neutral, or non-partisan, for there are
discrimination, lies, corruption, poverty, and abuses in the world—and remaining neutral seems
like an act of being quiet while watching injustice occur beneath my eyes. I am an avid protestor
of injustice and certain political personalities, for short.

However, now, I realized that politics is and will always be flawed. The knowledge you have
instilled in me, hence, shook the beliefs that I have long cherished as you have made me realize
that I am a nobody, and my knowledge equates to the size of a dust. Nonetheless, I will continue
rebuilding and questioning my own beliefs, and my journey towards the truth about politics will
continue as I carry the values I have picked up through you.

Good luck on your endeavors, sir! To more wisdom.