Types of migrants
TLDRIn this informative video, Professor Melissa Siegel delves into the various categories of migrants, distinguishing between internal and international migrants. She clarifies the terms 'emigrant' and 'immigrant,' and explains the nuances between voluntary and involuntary migration. The video also outlines the differences between refugees and asylum seekers, as defined by the UN Refugee Convention. Additionally, Siegel discusses the concepts of regular versus irregular migration, temporary versus permanent migration, and the criteria used to classify migrants as highly skilled or low skilled. This comprehensive overview provides viewers with a clear understanding of the complexities and classifications within the field of migration studies.
Takeaways
- 🌍 A migrant is any person who moves or has moved across an international border or within a state away from their habitual residence, regardless of legal status, voluntariness, cause, or duration of stay.
- 🔄 The distinction between internal migrants (move within their country) and international migrants (cross a country border) is based on the geographic scope of their movement.
- 🏙️ Common types of internal migrants move from rural areas to urban areas within their own country.
- 🚫 Involuntary migrants are those displaced from their home country due to fear of persecution, deception, coercion, or environmental factors, contrasting with voluntary migrants who move based on personal desires.
- 🏛️ Asylum seekers are individuals who have requested sanctuary in another country but have not yet been processed or officially recognized as refugees.
- 🛂 A refugee is someone who has fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and has crossed an international border to find safety, as defined by the UN Refugee Convention from 1951.
- 📜 Regular migrants use recognized legal channels for migration, while irregular migrants may involve illegal entry or visa violations, differing from the often misused terms 'legal' or 'illegal' migration.
- 📆 The duration of stay and residency status, such as a permanent residency visa or temporary residence permit, can determine if a migrant is considered temporary or permanent.
- 🌐 The UN differentiates between temporary and permanent migrants based on whether they have resided in a country for at least one year and are documented there.
- 🤔 Migrants' self-perception of being temporary or permanent can be influenced by their future intentions, which may not align with the host country's categorization.
- 💼 Highly skilled migrants are often defined by educational attainment, labor market requirements, or income thresholds, with different countries having varying criteria for this classification.
- 📊 UN definitions consider anyone with tertiary-level education as highly skilled, which might be a lower threshold than some countries' definitions for high-skilled migrants.
Q & A
What is the definition of a migrant according to the video?
-A migrant is any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a state, away from his or her habitual residence, regardless of the person's legal status, whether the movement was voluntary or involuntary, what the causes of the movement are, and the length of stay.
What is the difference between an internal migrant and an international migrant?
-An internal migrant is someone who moves from one area of a country to another, but remains within their country of origin. An international migrant is someone who crosses an international border to establish themselves in another country, either permanently or temporarily.
What does the term 'immigration' refer to?
-Immigration refers to the act of someone leaving their country and moving to another country.
How is an 'immigrant' defined in the context of migration?
-An immigrant is a person who enters a new country. Every migrant is both an emigrant, leaving their country, and an immigrant, arriving in their new country.
What is the distinction between a refugee and an asylum seeker?
-An asylum seeker is a person who has requested sanctuary in another country but has not yet been processed or given a decision on their refugee status. A refugee is someone who has fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and has crossed an international border to find safety in another country.
What is the international definition of a refugee as per the UN Refugee Convention?
-A refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
What is the difference between regular and irregular migration?
-Regular migration is when someone migrates through recognized legal channels, while irregular migration involves illegal entry or the violation of a country's administrative rules, such as overstaying a visa or not being authorized to remain in the host country.
How does the UN differentiate between temporary and permanent migrants?
-According to the UN, a permanent migrant is anyone who has resided in another country for at least one year and is documented in that country. Anyone residing in a country for under one year is considered a temporary migrant.
What factors determine whether a migrant considers themselves temporary or permanent?
-A migrant's self-identification as temporary or permanent is based on their intentions for the future. For example, someone who plans to return to their country of origin at some point may still consider themselves temporary, even if they have been in another country for many years.
How are highly skilled migrants typically categorized?
-Highly skilled migrants are often categorized based on educational requirements, labor market qualifications, job experience, or income thresholds. Different countries have different criteria for defining who is considered highly skilled.
What is the UN's definition of a highly skilled migrant?
-According to the UN, anyone who has tertiary level education is considered a highly skilled migrant.
Why might the definitions of different types of migrants be important?
-The definitions of different types of migrants are important because they help to categorize and understand the various reasons and circumstances under which people migrate. This can influence policy-making, social services, and the migrant's legal status and rights in their host country.
Outlines
😀 Understanding Migrant Types
Melissa Siegel, a professor of migration studies, begins by reiterating the definition of a migrant as someone who moves across an international border or within a state, away from their habitual residence, irrespective of legal status, voluntariness, cause, or duration. She then differentiates between internal migrants, who move within their country, and international migrants, who cross borders. The video also clarifies the terms 'immigration' and 'immigrant,' with the former referring to the act of leaving a country and the latter to entering a new one. Further distinctions are made between voluntary and involuntary migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and regular versus irregular migrants. The complexities of temporary and permanent migration are also explored, with the UN's definitions contrasting with individual migrants' self-perceptions. Lastly, the categorization of migrants by skill level is discussed, with the UN considering those with tertiary education as highly skilled, while countries may have varying criteria.
📚 Skilled Migration: Definitions and Considerations
The second paragraph delves into the categorization of migrants based on their skill levels, focusing on the dichotomy between highly skilled and low skilled migrants. It explains that the categorization can vary by country, with some using point systems that consider educational requirements, labor market needs, job experience, and income levels to define a highly skilled migrant. The Netherlands, for example, uses income thresholds as a determinant. The UN defines highly skilled migrants as those with tertiary-level education, which is a broader criterion than many countries might use. The paragraph emphasizes the different reasons countries may have for their definitions and the importance of understanding these distinctions when discussing migration.
💬 Engaging with the Audience
In the final paragraph, Melissa Siegel invites viewers to engage with the content by asking questions or providing comments related to the different categorizations of migrants. She encourages viewers to share their thoughts in the comment section below and to like and subscribe to her channel if they found the video informative and enjoyable. This call to action is a common practice to foster interaction and grow the community around her channel.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Migrant
💡Internal Migrant
💡International Migrant
💡Emigrant
💡Immigrant
💡Voluntary Migrant
💡Involuntary Migrant
💡Asylum Seeker
💡Refugee
💡Regular vs. Irregular Migration
💡Temporary vs. Permanent Migrants
💡Highly Skilled vs. Low Skilled Migrants
Highlights
A migrant is defined as any person who moves or has moved across an international border or within a state away from their habitual residence, regardless of legal status, voluntariness, cause, and duration of stay.
The distinction between internal migrants, who move within their country of origin, and international migrants, who cross a country border.
Internal migrants often move from rural areas to urban areas, while international migrants establish themselves in a new country, either temporarily or permanently.
Every migrant is both an emigrant leaving their country and an immigrant arriving in a new country, exemplified by the speaker being an emigrant from the United States and an immigrant in the Netherlands.
Voluntary migrants move due to personal desires and motivations, while involuntary migrants are displaced by factors such as persecution, deception, coercion, or environmental factors.
An asylum seeker is someone who has requested sanctuary in another country but has not yet been processed or recognized as a refugee.
A refugee is defined as a person who has fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and crossed an international border to find safety, as per the UN Refugee Convention from 1951.
Countries can expand their definition of a refugee but cannot limit the definition if they've subscribed to the 1951 Geneva Convention.
Regular migrants use legal channels for migration, while irregular migrants infringe on a country's administrative rules or have an illegal entry or visa issues.
Temporary migrants are those who reside in a country for under one year, whereas permanent migrants have resided for at least one year according to the UN.
The self-perception of migrants as temporary or permanent is based on their future intentions, which may differ from the legal definitions.
Highly skilled migrants are often categorized differently by countries and may be defined by educational requirements, labor market qualifications, or income thresholds.
The UN definition of a highly skilled migrant is anyone with tertiary-level education, which may be a lower threshold than some countries consider.
The categorization of migrants into different types is essential for understanding migration patterns and the needs of the labor market.
The definitions and categorizations of migrants are not always clear-cut and can be subject to change over time based on individual circumstances and country policies.
The speaker invites viewers to comment with questions or comments on different categorizations of migrants, encouraging further discussion on the topic.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: