Migration as an economic force
A handful of people moving from one country to another makes little difference to either place. When migrants arrive in very large numbers, the picture changes. Both the place they leave and the place they reach can be reshaped economically.
Most international migration happens for one reason, which is work. People cross borders because jobs and wages are available somewhere else. This makes migration an economic process at its heart, with gains and losses on both sides.
The movement of people from one country to another in order to work, usually because jobs or wages at the destination are better than at home.
The country or area a migrant leaves.
The country or area a migrant moves to.
The reasons people choose to move are covered in the lesson on migration and society.
Qatar, a small Gulf state, is a clear example of how large-scale labour migration can change a country, and its effects show up plainly in its population structure.
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