Emigration

Emigration is the act of leaving one's resident country with the intent to settle elsewhere. Conversely, immigration describes the movement into a country to live on a permanent basis. Together, immigration and emigration are part of the larger concept of migration, which also includes internal migration, or the movement of people within a country.

Reasons for Emigration

People emigrate for many reasons, with the most common being economic, social, political, or environmental.

• Economic migration - This is when individuals move from one region to another to improve their standard of living or to improve their job prospects.
• Social migration - This is when individuals move to be closer to family or friends or to live in a place with a culture or lifestyle that they prefer.
• Political migration - This is when individuals move to escape political instability, war, or persecution.
• Environmental migration - This is when individuals move to escape natural disasters or other environmental factors.

Effects of Emigration

Emigration can have a significant impact on the countries that people leave. This can include:

• Brain drain - This is when educated or professional people emigrate to other countries, potentially causing a shortage of skilled workers in their home country.
• Remittances - These are funds that emigrants send back to their home country, which can play an important role in the economy of the home country.
• Demographic impact - Emigration can affect the age and gender distribution of the population in the home country.

See Also

• Immigration
• Migration
• Diaspora
• Refugee

Emigration

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  Emigration poster for Japanese to Brazil, early 20th century
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  View of the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz, November 1975