DESCRIPTIVE CLASSIFICATIONS OF MIGRATION. Fabio Baggio

Transcription

1 1 DESCRIPTIVE CLASSIFICATIONS OF MIGRATION Fabi Baggi The understanding f the migratin phenmenn and the develpment f migratin classificatins shuld be always based n the cnsideratin f bth bjective criteria and subjective mtivatins. The balanced assessment f bth elements is critical t the cmprehensin f the phenmenn. At first nly the descriptive classificatins f migratin will be cnsidered while the interpretative classificatins (i.e. migratin theries) will be discussed later n. 1. Gegraphical Classificatin The gegraphical classificatin cnsiders the phenmenn f migratin based n the distance cvered in terms f human gegraphy, namely the administrative and plitical rganizatin f the territry (e.g. municipality, prvince, regin, state, federatin f states, cntinent, etc.) and the ppulatin distributin in it (e.g. residents, citizens, natinals, etc.). With regard t the territries serving as reference, the fllwing categries can be distinguished: a) Internal migratin: it is the migratin mvement within a state, regin r area, depending n the territry that is cnsidered as an indivisible unit. There are different categries f internal migratin: Rural- Urban migratin: migratin frm the cuntryside t the city; Interurban migratin: migratin frm ne city t anther; Urban- Rural migratin: migratin frm the city fr the cuntryside; Interrural migratin: migratin frm ne cuntryside t anther; Nmadism: cntinuus mvement within a territry (hmeless): Transhumance: displacement frm the muntains t the plane due t sheepherding; Intermuncipal migratin: migratin frm ne municipality t anther; Interprvincial migratin: migratin frm ne prvince t anther; Interreginal migratin: migratin frm ne regin t anther. 1 b) Internatinal migratin: migratin crssing the brders f ne r mre states. Internatinal migratin may be divided in different categries based n gegraphic cntexts: Transceanic migratin: internatinal migratin invlving the crssing f ne r mre ceans; Transcntinental migratin: internatinal migratin invlving the mvement frm ne cntinent t anther; Brder migratin: when internatinal migratin takes place between tw brder lcatins; Neighbr migratin: when internatinal migratry mvement takes place between tw neighbr cuntries; 1 In this case the term regin refers t a gegraphical divisin within a cuntry. In the case f internatinal migratin, regin nrmally indicates a grup f cuntries sharing the same supranatinal territry.

2 2 Reginal migratin: internatinal migratin as the mvement takes place within a regin. Hwever, when the directin f migratin flws serves as reference, the fllwing categries f migratin can be highlighted: a) Emigratin: the actin f leaving a cuntry r ther gegraphic cntext. It is migratin cnsidered frm the perspective f the place f rigin. b) Immigratin: the actin f entering int a cuntry r ther gegraphic cntext. It is migratin cnsidered frm the perspective f the place f destinatin. 2 c) Transit Migratin: migratin acrss a cuntry r ther gegraphic cntext withut intent t stp r settle n it and with the sle intentin t get t anther cuntry r gegraphic cntext. d) Circular Migratin: migratin that, in its riginal intentin, departs frm a place f rigin, reaches a destinatin and then returns t the same place f rigin within a limited timeframe. e) Return 3 r re- migratin: migratin frm the place f destinatin back t the place f rigin. 2. Chrnlgical Classificatin The chrnlgical classificatin cnsiders the phenmenn f migratin based n its length in subjective terms (intentinal duratin) and/r bjective terms (effective duratin). In this sense there are different categries f migratin: a) Intentinal duratin: the perid f time a persn (r grup f peple) intends t stay ut f his/her place f rigin 4. Cnsidering the intentinal duratin, the fllwing categries can be highlighted: Temprary migratin: when, in the intentin f the migrant, the time t be spent away frm his/her place f habitual residence has a limited duratin. Permanent migratin: when, in the intentin f the migrant, the time t be spent away frm his/her place f habitual residence has n limited duratin. Undetermined migratin: when, in the intentin f the migrant, there is n specific length f time alltted t the migratin experience. b) Effective Duratin: the perid f time a persn (r grup f peple) remains effectively utside his/her place f rigin. Cnsidering the effective duratin, the fllwing categries can be highlighted: Temprary migratin: when the sjurn f a persn (r a grup f peple) utside his/her usual place f residence has a limited duratin. There are different categries f temprary migratin: Cntract migratin: labr migratin regulated by a temprary wrkers prgram, where the length crrespnds t the duratin f a temprary emplyment cntract; Seasnal migratin: when the length f stay is less than ne year and repeated ver time; it is ften linked t particular cnditins f life and wrk (farming, harvest, service sectr, etc.). 2 Please nte that, nly in English, many authrs wuld use immigratin t indicate the migratin mvement aiming at settling in the place f destinatin. 3 In sme cuntries, like Chile, the terms "return" and "returnee" refer the exiles, refugees r displaced peple due t plitical reasns wh, upn the terminatin f the adverse cnditins, may return t their hmeland. 4 Please nte that in many cases the intended duratin des nt match with the effective duratin and the frmer may change alng the migratin experience.

3 3 Pendular migratin: when the duratin is less than 24 hurs (ne day) and the mvement is repeated every wrking day; Permanent migratin: when the sjurn f a persn (r a grup f peple) utside his/her usual place f residence des nt have a limited duratin. 3. Demgraphic- Ecnmic Classificatin The demgraphic- ecnmic classificatin cnsiders the phenmenn f migratin based n the demgraphic and ecnmic cnditins f migrants. Frm this perspective there are different categries f migratin: a) Subjects f migratin: categries based n the characteristics f the peple wh migrate: Individual migratin: when the subject is an individual; Family migratin: when the subject is a family; Massive migratin (exdus): when a huge number f peple are invlved in the mvement; Male/female migratin: when the criterin is the gender f the persn (r grup f peple) wh migrate; Child/adult/elderly migratin: when the criterin is the age f the persn (r grup f peple) wh migrate; First generatin: the grup f migrants cmpsed by whm actually migrated frm their hme cuntry t a new place; Secnd generatin: generally, the children f the first generatin either brn in the hme cuntry r in the place f destinatin (but there are discussins abut the real definitin); Third generatin: the grandchildren f the first generatin, wh are brn in the place f destinatin. Migratin flw: is the number f individuals mving frm ne place t anther during in a certain perid f time (e.g. 1 year). Depending n its directin, it is called either emigratin flw r immigratin flw. Migratin Stck: the number f freigners (r migrants) residing in a cuntry (r territry) at a certain mment in time (e.g. 31 December 2010). Migrant ppulatin: the assembly f freigners (r migrants) and their descendants wh reside in a cuntry (r territry) at a certain mment in time. Depending n the cllective cntexts f reference, there are sme sub- categries: freign cmmunity, ethnic cmmunity, ethnic r freign minrity, etc.. Migrant human- pwer : refers t migrants f wrking age residents in a given territry. b) Emplyment: there are different categries f migratin depending n the kind f wrk perfrmed by migrants: Migratin f rural wrkers, industrial wrkers, service wrkers, etc., depending n the sectr in which migrants are emplyed; Highly skilled migratin: migratin f peple wh are emplyed in a jb requiring a high degree f prfessinalism; 5 5 Kindly nte that, in mst cases, the qualificatin f migrant wrkers des nt depend n the prfessinal level reached in their cuntry, but rather n the wrk they get in the cuntry f destinatin.

4 4 Skilled migratin: migratin f peple wh are emplyed in prfessinal jbs; Unskilled migratin (r lw skilled migratin): migratin f peple wh are emplyed in jbs that d nt require any prfessinal qualificatin; Brain drain: massive internatinal migratin (with little prspect f return) f persns with high qualificatins in their cuntry f rigin; Technlgy migratin: migratin f human resurces highly skilled in the technlgy sectr; Migrants with independent r autnmus wrk: freign wrkers (r migrants) wh are wrking n their wn, as individuals r as a cmpany; Migrants with dependent r subrdinate wrk: freign wrkers (r migrants) wh are emplyed under a labr cntract. 4. Plitical and Legal Classificatin The plitical- legal classificatin refers t the legal- administrative system r the migratin plicy f the sending r the receiving cuntries. The categries are as many as the systems and plicies. But, mre generally, the fllwing categries can be identified: a) Free migratin 6 : migratin that is nt cntrlled (prmted, blcked, limited, etc.) by the gvernment f the cncerned sending r receiving cuntry. The mvement simply respnds t the needs f the labr market and the free initiative f emplyers and wrkers. b) Managed (r cntrlled) migratin: the migratin that is either assisted r rganized r prmted r limited r regulated by rules issued by the cncerned gvernment f the sending r receiving cuntry r thrugh bilateral r multilateral agreements between cuntries f rigin and destinatins r at the reginal level (e.g. Mercsur, Eurpean Unin, etc.). c) Regular r authrized migratin: the migratin, free r managed, which takes place in due respect f all emigratin and immigratin rules issued by the cncerned sending and receiving cuntries. d) Irregular r unauthrized migratin 7 : the migratin that takes place breaking ne r mre emigratin and/r immigratin rules f the cncerned sending r receiving cuntries. There are several types f irregular migratin, but this matter will be discussed later n. 5. Causal Classificatin The causal classificatin f human mbility is based n the causes, reasns and mtivatins that have generated it. In this sense the fllwing categries can be identified: a) Free r spntaneus human mbility: when the mvement is the result f the free chice f the persn (r grup) wh migrates. The reasns fr the free migratin may be the fllwing: Ecnmic r labr migratin: when the mtivatin fr migratin is wrking in a place ther than hme; Health migratin: when the mtivatin fr migratin is the realizatin f a medical treatment, therapy r surgery in a place ther than hme; 6 In the definitin f free migratin, it shuld be cnsidered that there are sci- plitical cntexts that pretend t leave ecnmic migratin t the free initiative f the peple, but in fact they "frce" peple t migrate. Therefre t define the categry f a specific migratin it is imprtant t identify the mtivatinal criteria and assess the phenmenn frm different pint f view. 7 Thugh many schlars use it frequently, the term "illegal" migratin seems t respnd t idelgical and malicius cnntatins and therefre must be avided.

5 5 Study migratin: when the mtivatin fr migratin is the realizatin f studies in a place ther than hme; Turism: when the mtivatin fr the mvement is visiting a place ther than hme; Pilgrimage, when the mtivatin fr migratin is a religius pilgrimage t a sacred place far frm the place f rigin; Business migratin: when the mtivatin fr migratin is t cnduct business in a place ther than hme. b) Frced Migratin: when the mvement is frced by cnflict, natural disasters, persecutin, discriminatin and deprtatin: Refugee: persn recgnized as a victim f frced migratin by the hsting cuntry r the United Natins High Cmmissiner fr Refugees (UNHCR); Asylum seeker: a victim f frced migratin wh has filed an applicatin fr asylum and is awaiting a respnse; Displaced persn 8 : persn wh is victim f frced migratin; the victims f frced migratin mving within a natinal territry are called internally displaced persns (IDPs). Exile: persn frced by the gvernment f his/her wn cuntry t leave his/her hmeland and reside abrad; Deprted: a persn frced t leave the freign cuntry in which he/she stays fr different reasns. 8 In Latin America the term is ften used t define particularly a displaced persn wh is victim f armed cnflicts within a cuntry.