How Immigration And Refugees Impact The Society

Immigration Influences Society Name Institution Abstract In the world today, the issue of immigration dominates conversation in almost every country. In Europe, the United States, and other countries, not a day passes without there being something or someone talking about immigration. Different factors influence or cause an increased rate of immigration with the most common being a quest for a better life, war, natural disasters, vacations, job opportunities, etc. Further from the causes of immigration, this article seeks to discuss the implications or the impact of immigration on the society. Immigrants have a lasting impact on the host nation chief of which is the effect it has on the living conditions of the people in the host nations. Aside from this, it also greatly impacts the economy of the host nation. Lastly, immigration also affects the politics of the host nation. From the rhetoric often spread by the people in the host nation to the politicians discussing the laws which govern issues of immigration, the effects are quite profound. Immigration Influences Society Globally, some people travel from one country to another in a pursuit of education, career opportunities, and vacation among other things. Most people are often fascinated by what they see and experience in these particular countries, hence decide to move and live there. However, some people reside in other countries due to other reasons such as poverty, political instability, social inequality, natural disasters, insecurity, and war among others. Due to these reasons, some either choose to live as internally displaced persons in their home country or as immigrants in foreign countries. They run away from their countries due to the issues they experience there. The cases above are what we refer to as immigration. There are numerous definitions of immigration which can help to simplify the understanding or comprehension of this complex issue. The Cambridge Dictionary defines immigration as “the act of someone coming to live in a different country.” The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines it as “an act or instance of immigrating: specifically: travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there.” While these definitions are easily comprehensible, immigration turns out to be a highly contentious issue in the society. Its effects have been widely discussed, and this paper seeks to elucidate further on them but specifically within the spectrum of politics, economic issues, and cultural issues. The decision to immigrate can be the immigrants’ but in other instances, circumstances can push one to shift residence. Some people shift permanently while others move only for a while and then move back to their countries. However, the decision to return is based on several factors including safety, the stability of a country, the quality of services in a country, etc. Different types of immigrants exist, and they include voluntary and forced immigrants. Voluntary can simply be described as those immigrants who migrate because they are attracted to something or find another country suitable for them. On the other hand, forced immigrants are those who have been forced out of their country by issues of insecurity and war. Causes of Immigration Immigration happens because of many factors. These factors may either be push or pull factors. Push factors are factors which make an individual move from a place due to it being less attractive and less accommodating. Such factors include; political instability, natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides, insecurity and social inequalities, etc. As the name suggests, these factors push an individual to migrate from one region to another. Pull factors, on the other hand, are factors which make one want or desire to live in a particular place. They include; job opportunities, vacations, and education. Such factors make living in a specific region accommodating and more attractive. They pull a person to that region due to the various aspects they have. How Immigration and Refugees Impact the Society There have been several debates on the specific impact immigrants have on the host society. One example of a country which has thrived mainly because of immigration is the United States. However, the US is a special case because some other countries have also had enormous problems as a result of immigration. Often, immigrants find themselves casted in bad light and considered the outcasts in the society. It is a common notion that immigrants are weakening economies and that some of them could be associated with terrorist groups. Immigrants have found themselves getting discriminated against simply because they left their homes in search for a better life. While some people have and are willingly ready to open their doors to welcome immigrants, others are not and seem to rebuke the notion of welcoming immigrants. One truth, though, that stands about immigrants is that their presence in any society has a lasting impact on the host nations. The impact can be felt immediately the immigrants arrive or after they have stayed in the host nation for some time. The following section will deeply explore how immigration impacts the political, economic, and cultural aspects of the society. How Immigration Impacts the Culture and the Living Conditions of the Host Nations Immigration has direct influences on the culture of a people as well as their living conditions. Culture can be simply defined as a people’s values, norms, and beliefs (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). It is essential to understand that these can be changed, made to adapt, and even integrate values of others. Immigration influences these changes within a society as it calls for the accommodation or rather the tolerance of cultural diversity. One of the ways that immigration can influence culture and how people live is by inducing and encouraging cultural tolerance. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, tolerance is defined as “to accept the feelings, behavior, or beliefs of someone.” Cultural tolerance can, therefore, be interpreted as the acceptance of other people’s beliefs, values, feelings, and norms. Immigration introduces different cultures in the host countries, and this can offer a suitable ground for people to show or be accommodative to other cultures. Having only experienced one’s culture and way of living, it is indeed a challenge to understand the existence of others. However, as a result of immigration, people have been introduced to different ways of living which have helped to create awareness of cultural diversity. Therefore, as a result of this awareness, more people have become open and receptive towards other cultures. This has led to increased cultural tolerance around the world with people being relatively more open to other cultures and ways of living. Aside from cultural tolerance, immigration also leads to the development of new cultures and ways of life. This breeds or comes from the fact that people are culturally tolerant of each other. Therefore, slowly these groups of people will integrate and for them to co-exist peacefully, they will be forced to find common ground culturally and this is referred to as acculturation. Acculturation happens when cultures interact with the result being psychological, social, and cultural change. This is a viable outcome when cultures interact. However, it is essential to understand that acculturation can occur even without immigration, for example, Chinese young men and women dressing or donning Western clothing. While the Chinese example is an example of acculturation, this concept can also appear when different cultures interact, and a completely new and different type of clothing style emerges. Immigration can also lead to cultural loss, and this happens, especially on the part of the immigrants (Bhugra and Becker, 2005). After immigrating, a majority of immigrants find it difficult to live in accordance with their indigenous cultures. In a native land and under pressure to conform, a majority of the immigrants prefer to adopt new cultures. However, with time, many find it difficult to identify with their native as well as host cultures. Some immigrants leave their homes with the sole mindset of changing their lives and adopting a different culture. However, after they have moved to a different place, they fail to settle and fit within the cultural requirements and aspects of the host country. Therefore, many opt to identify with neither their native nor host culture (Bhugra and Becker, 2005). The result is a culture loss. Impact of Immigration on the Economy Economically, immigration also leaves an imprint or mark which is often perceptible. Some people believe that immigration has major economic benefits for the host nations CITATION Stu16 \l 1033 (Stuart, 2016). However, others vehemently oppose this and staunchly be...