Migration Trends (migration + trend)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Rural Youth Migration Trends in Australia: an Overview of Recent Trends and Two Inland Case Studies

GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008
NEIL ARGENT
Abstract Much of what has been written on the topic of Australian rural youth migration trends and processes has often proceeded from data-free, or data-poor grounds. In this context, this paper analyses recent trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) migration for a temporally-consistent set of Statistical Divisions (SDs) in inland rural Australia, and for local government areas within the Northern Tablelands and Slopes and Ranges of northern New South Wales and the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt. The paper finds that rates of youth loss from rural regions have increased over the past twenty years. Yet the patterns, processes, causes and impacts of rural youth migration are distributed in a spatially-uneven fashion. Some remote areas are receiving net migration gains while booming ,sea change' coastal regions have experienced heavy losses. While the ,flight to the bright city lights' syndrome is evident, relatively high proportions of young people in the Northern SD of NSW move within their immediate region. Nevertheless, some common understandings concerning youth mobility were also confirmed. Gender differentials in migration propensity between women and men are evident even at quite local scales. Young people are also more likely to search out capital cities than the rest of the population. Most inland areas still continue to experience heavy losses of local youth. A more precise understanding of rural youth migration trends is an important stepping stone in the establishment of a reinvigorated research effort into young rural people's perspectives of their changing life chances in their home communities. [source]


An operational model predicting autumn bird migration intensities for flight safety

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
J. VAN BELLE
Summary 1Forecasting migration intensity can improve flight safety and reduce the operational costs of collisions between aircraft and migrating birds. This is particularly true for military training flights, which can be rescheduled if necessary and often take place at low altitudes and during the night. Migration intensity depends strongly on weather conditions but reported effects of weather differ among studies. It is therefore unclear to what extent existing predictive models can be extrapolated to new situations. 2We used radar measurements of bird densities in the Netherlands to analyse the relationship between weather and nocturnal migration. Using our data, we tested the performance of three regression models that have been developed for other locations in Europe. We developed and validated new models for different combinations of years to test whether regression models can be used to predict migration intensity in independent years. Model performance was assessed by comparing model predictions against benchmark predictions based on measured migration intensity of the previous night and predictions based on a 6-year average trend. We also investigated the effect of the size of the calibration data set on model robustness. 3All models performed better than the benchmarks, but the mismatch between measurements and predictions was large for existing models. Model performance was best for newly developed regression models. The performance of all models was best at intermediate migration intensities. The performance of our models clearly increased with sample size, up to about 90 nocturnal migration measurements. Significant input variables included seasonal migration trend, wind profit, 24-h trend in barometric pressure and rain. 4Synthesis and applications. Migration intensities can be forecast with a regression model based on meteorological data. This and other existing models are only valid locally and cannot be extrapolated to new locations. Model development for new locations requires data sets with representative inter- and intraseasonal variability so that cross-validation can be applied effectively. The Royal Netherlands Air Force currently uses the regression model developed in this study to predict migration intensities 3 days ahead. This improves the reliability of migration intensity warnings and allows rescheduling of training flights if needed. [source]


Rural Youth Migration Trends in Australia: an Overview of Recent Trends and Two Inland Case Studies

GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008
NEIL ARGENT
Abstract Much of what has been written on the topic of Australian rural youth migration trends and processes has often proceeded from data-free, or data-poor grounds. In this context, this paper analyses recent trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) migration for a temporally-consistent set of Statistical Divisions (SDs) in inland rural Australia, and for local government areas within the Northern Tablelands and Slopes and Ranges of northern New South Wales and the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt. The paper finds that rates of youth loss from rural regions have increased over the past twenty years. Yet the patterns, processes, causes and impacts of rural youth migration are distributed in a spatially-uneven fashion. Some remote areas are receiving net migration gains while booming ,sea change' coastal regions have experienced heavy losses. While the ,flight to the bright city lights' syndrome is evident, relatively high proportions of young people in the Northern SD of NSW move within their immediate region. Nevertheless, some common understandings concerning youth mobility were also confirmed. Gender differentials in migration propensity between women and men are evident even at quite local scales. Young people are also more likely to search out capital cities than the rest of the population. Most inland areas still continue to experience heavy losses of local youth. A more precise understanding of rural youth migration trends is an important stepping stone in the establishment of a reinvigorated research effort into young rural people's perspectives of their changing life chances in their home communities. [source]


Reducing Irregular Migration from China

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 3 2003
James K. Chin
With the development of China's economy since 1979, a new type of Chinese migration has emerged, which is more diversified and quite distinct from previous migration patterns. Trafficking in human beings and other forms of irregular migration are one of the most pressing and complex human rights issues today, reaching across borders and affecting most of the countries in the world, with new and serious security implications. As part of the international irregular migration flows toward and into the European Union (EU), the Chinese, particularly from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, have played a major role since the 1980s. To some extent, it could be said that China provides the largest number of East Asian irregular immigrants to Europe. Based on fieldwork conducted in southern China over the past seven years, this paper proposes to examine current Chinese irregular migration trends. It will further present the Government's response regarding the migratory modus operandi and policy implications with the aim of offering policy makers an empirical insight into the most active region of emigration in China. Because of the difficulty and sensitivity involved in collecting data on the topic, materials in this paper are mainly based on a content analysis of local Chinese newspapers and my interviews with various people involved in irregular migration activities, such as "snakeheads", illegal migrants and their family members, and police, local, and government officials at different levels. [source]


Aid, Relief, and Containment: The First Asylum Country and Beyond

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 5 2002
B.S. Chimni
A fundamental problem that confronts the European Union today is how it can maintain its commitment to the institution of asylum while checking irregular migration and the abuse of its asylum system. In order to explore a response to this dilemma the paper addresses the following questions: what role can relief and aid policies play in influencing migration patterns? What should be the appropriate approach to the granting of relief and aid to developing countries of first asylum? Should it be viewed as a part of the larger problem of development or be treated as a distinct issue? What kind of a relief/aid model will help refugees return to post,conflict societies and stop the conflict from reproducing itself? The paper examines two different approaches to address these questions: the alliance,containment approach and the distributive,developmental approach. It also looks at some empirical evidence, which reveals that at present it is a conservative alliance,containment approach that informs EU relief and aid practices. This approach, however, does not help achieve the stated objective of checking abuse of asylum and migration procedures while sustaining a commitment to a liberal asylum regime. The paper goes on to identify the gaps in EU policy and the lessons that can be drawn. It concludes by looking at different policy alternatives and suggesting the adoption of a reformist distributive,developmental model. The implementation of this model holds out the hope of reverting to a more liberal asylum regime while controlling irregular migration and "bogus" asylum seekers, for the reformist distributive developmental model takes a more long,term view of migration trends and also seeks to address the growing North,South divide. [source]


Social, Economic and Demographic Consequences of Migration on Kerala

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2001
K.C. Zachariah
Migration has been the single most dynamic factor in the otherwise dreary development scenario of Kerala during the last quarter of the last century. It has contributed more to poverty alleviation and reduction in unemployment in Kerala than any other factor. As a result of migration, the proportion of the population below the poverty line has declined by 12 per cent. The number of unemployed persons , estimated to be only about 13 lakhs in 1998 compared with 37 lakhs reported by the Kerala Employment Exchanges , has declined by over 30 per cent. Migration has caused nearly a million married women in Kerala to live away from their husbands. Most of these so-called "Gulf wives" experienced extreme loneliness to begin with, and were burdened with added family responsibilities to which they had not been accustomed when their husbands were with them. But over a period, and with a helping hand from abroad over the ISD, most came out of their early gloom. Their gain in autonomy, status, management skills and experience in dealing with the world outside their homes were developed the hard way and would remain with them for the rest of their lives for the benefit of their families and society. In the long run, the transformation of these million women will have contributed more to the development of Kerala society than all the temporary euphoria created by remittances and modern gadgetry. Kerala is dependent on migration for employment, subsistence, housing, household amenities, institution building, and many other developmental activities. The danger is that migration could cease, as shown by the Kuwait war of 1993, and repercussions could be disastrous for the State. Understanding migration trends and instituting policies to maintain the flow of migration is more important today than at any time in the past. Kerala workers seem to be losing out in international competition for jobs in the Gulf market. Corrective policies are needed urgently to raise their competitive edge over workers in competing countries in South and South-East Asia. Like any other industry, migration from Kerala needs periodic technological upgrading of workers. Otherwise, there is a danger that the State might lose the Gulf market permanently. The crux of the problem is Kerala workers' inability to compete with expatriates from other South and South-East Asian countries. The solution lies in equipping workers with better general education and job training. This study suggests a twofold approach. In the short run, the need is to improve the job skills of prospective emigrant workers. This could be achieved through ad hoc training programmes focussed on the job market in Gulf countries. In the long run, the need is to restructure the educational system, taking into consideration the future demand of workers not only in Kerala but also in potential destination countries all over the world, including the US and other developed countries. Kerala emigrants need not always be construction workers in the Gulf countries; they could also be software engineers in developed countries. [source]


Simulating the East African wildebeest migration patterns using GIS and remote sensing

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
Douglas E. Musiega
Abstract The Serengeti,Mara ecosystem in East Africa is a spectacular natural heritage endowed with diverse fauna and flora. The presence of the seasonally migrating wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a major boost for tourism. This migration however has enormous impacts to the ecosystem. Consequently efforts at monitoring the herd's migration trends and patterns remain a challenge to wildlife managers and ecologists in the region. In this paper, the relative influence of vegetation (normalized difference vegetation index), landscape and relief on herds migration routes are investigated and the migration routes simulated using GIS and remote sensing techniques. The results are compared with the annual mean route taken by the herds, as determined by radio tracking over the 1995,1997 period. Green vegetation availability is shown to be the major criterion in route choice. It is also shown that during the dry season phases of the migration (western trek, western corridor), the herd endures complex relief (complexity quantified based on slope and inter-visibility) in the search for greener grass. During the season of abundance (southern trek), relief becomes critical in making route choices, with herds avoiding difficult terrain, notwithstanding their relatively more abundant vegetation. The method proposed in this paper is viable for rapid prediction of approximate routes for the migrating wildebeest in different climatic conditions. Résumé L'écosystème Serengeti,Mara en Afrique Occidental est un patrimoine naturel spectaculaire, doté des divers variétés de flore et de faune. La présence du gnou migrateur (Connochaetes taurinus) représente un atout majeur pour le tourisme. Néanmoins, cette migration a un impact énorme sur l'écosystème. Par conséquence, la surveillance des tendances migratoires du troupeau est un défi constant pour les gérants et les écologistes dans la région. Dans cette enquête, l'influence relative de la végétation (NDVI), le paysage et le relief, sur les routes du migration prises par le troupeau ont étéétudiés, et simulés utilisant le Système d'Information Géographique (SIG) et des techniques de perception à distance. Les résultats sont comparés à la moyenne annuelle des routes prises par les troupeaux, déterminée par le repérage radio pendant la période allant de 1995 a 1997. Le disponibilité de végétation verte s'avère le déterminant majeur dans le choix du chemin. Il est aussi démontré que pendant les phases du migration en saison sèche (périple vers l'ouest, couloir vers l'ouest) le troupeau subit des reliefs complexes (complexité calculée sur la pente et inter visibilité) à la recherche de l'herbe la plus verte. Pendant la saison d'abondance (périple vers le sud), l'impact du relief sur le choix des routes devient critique, les troupeaux évitant le terrain difficile, malgré sa végétation relativement abondante. La méthode présentée dans cette étude permet de prédire de façon rapide et valable la route approximative des gnous en cours de migration dans des conditions climatiques diverses. [source]


Influence of high-pressure processing on selected polymeric materials and on the migration of a pressure-transmitting fluid

PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 5 2002
A. Schauwecker
Abstract This study investigated the migration of 1,2-propanediol (PG) through selected food packaging films exposed to high-pressure processing (HPP). Pouches made from these materials were filled with 95% ethanol as a food-simulating liquid. These packages were then processed using a pilot-scale high-pressure food processor at 400, 600 and 827,MPa and 30, 50 and 75°C for 10,min. Controls were processed at similar temperatures and times, but at atmospheric pressure. To investigate any structural changes to these films during HPP, water was used as the food simulant at temperatures of 30, 75, 85, 90 and 95°C and at pressures of 200, 400, 690 and 827,MPa. No detectable PG migration into the polyester/nylon/aluminium (Al) polypropylene (PP) meal-ready-to eat (MRE)-type pouches was observed. PG migration into the nylon/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/PE (EVOH) pouches was similar at 30, 50 and 75°C after 10,min under atmospheric pressure. However, PG migration into the EVOH pouches significantly decreased when treated with high pressure at 30, 50 and 75°C. At 75 and 50°C, the PG migration was significantly higher than the amounts detected at 30°C. Visible signs of delamination between the polypropylene (PP) and aluminum (Al) layers were observed in the MRE pouches processed at ,200,MPa and 90°C for 10,min. This delamination appeared to occur between the PP and Al layers. The differential scanning calorimetric analyses and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were similar for the high-pressure treated pouches when compared to their respective controls. This indicated that there were no HPP-induced molecular changes to the treated pouches. Results from this study should be useful to HPP users for predicting PG migration trends and in deciding the selection of appropriate packaging materials for use under similar processing conditions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Survival and expansion: migrants in Greek rural regions

POPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 6 2008
Charalambos Kasimis
Abstract Migratory movements towards southern Europe have increased considerably in the past 20 years. An important aspect of this process is connected to the agricultural sector and rural regions , a development connected to agriculture's particular weight in the economies and societies of all southern European countries. However, their role is not restricted to agriculture. They are also related to non-agricultural economic activities and the overall support of aged populations, especially in marginal or mountainous rural areas. This paper draws on the qualitative and quantitative findings of two research projects carried out in three exemplar rural regions of Greece and over two different periods: 2000,2002 and 2004,2006. The aim of the research was the empirical investigation of the economic and social implications of the settlement and employment of migrant labour in rural Greece. The paper moves from the presentation of the theoretical and methodological framework to the presentation of the main findings for each period of the research. The socioeconomic implications of migrant employment and settlement in the regions studied are revealed in the light of the recent Common Agricultural Policy changes, and the changes following the implementation of ,regularisation programmes'. Additionally, the characteristics of migration trends in these regions are identified and the formation of new migrant social groups, with different prospects of social integration and mobility, is revealed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Population ageing and older workers: employers' perceptions, attitudes and policies

POPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 5 2006
Wendy Loretto
Abstract Increasing employment of older workers (those aged 50 and over) has been proposed as a strategy to cushion the impact of declining and ageing populations. Focusing on Scotland, this article considers the various measures that have been put forward to counteract population decline, and reviews public policy approaches aimed at increasing economic activity rates among older workers. It is argued that the attitudes and behaviours of employers are a crucial, but neglected, issue within the debates on employability of older workers. After reviewing existing research relating to employers' approaches towards older workers, we present findings from focus groups of employers conducted in four areas of Scotland in 2003. Our findings show that, whilst employers claimed to operate equal opportunities policies, they also showed partiality in favour of and against older workers. There was little evidence of strategic deployment of older workers, either currently, or in relation to forward planning. Instead a range of sectoral, structural and spatial factors influenced the heterogeneous approaches of employers towards older workers. We discuss the future employability of older workers in light of recent migration trends, and conclude by examining the wider relevance of our research for population ageing and decline. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]