Forced Migration and Voluntary Migration
- Oct 26, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 21, 2022
Retrieved from International Migration: The Nexus Between Security and Migration of African Migrants. DOI:10.2139/ssrn.3911558
How different is forced migration from voluntary migration?
The distinction between forced migration and voluntary migration is the underlining factors or causes that influence migration. The interaction and interdependency of these factors at times makes it challenging to identify what actually influences people to migrate or influence their migration aspirations (Engel and Ibanez, 2007). Forced migration is influenced by human made and natural causes such as human rights abuses, conflicts and violence, flood, drought, among others which coerce people to move from their country of residence. There was an estimated 68 million people who were displaced forcibly; more than 25 million refugees and 3 million asylum seekers out of the 258 million international migrants globally in 2017(UN, 2019). It is worth mentioning that not all who are faced with these conditions move out of their countries (Kuhnt, 2019; Williams, 2015; Zimmerman, 2011). Socio-economic characteristics of migrants contribute to the decisions of displaced persons to migrate out of their country (Adhikari, 2013; Zimmerman, 2011). Migrants displaced through conflicts and violence migrate out of their countries in search of safety as their main priority (Bryne, 2016). In times of conflicts and violence, people do not just have their personal security threatened but lose their livelihoods as well. They flee their countries not just for their safety but in search for economic opportunities. These migrants end up transiting through countries to countries in search of better economic opportunities (Zimmerman, 2009; 2011). Economic environment plays a major important role in migration decisions and aspirations. De Haas (2011) noted that political repressions do not necessarily lead to large movements of people across borders if economic opportunities still exist. Factors such as natural disasters though predicted empirically as a potential cause of large migration flows (Mendelsohn, Dinar and Williams, 2006; Tol et al., 2004) would necessarily not directly influence international migration but rather internal migration (Alem, Maurel and Mullock, 2016; Gray, 2009; Raleigh et al., 2010). This consequently leads to rapid urbanization which affects economic opportunities in urban areas (Barrios et al., 2006; Henderson et al., 2017). It is important to note that it does not directly only affect economic opportunities but could also contribute to communal conflicts and violence. Irrespective of the distinguishing factors between forced and voluntary migration, Migrants of both forms of migration are pushed into the irregularities of migration due to migration policies (such as tighten border controls, restrictive visa policies) of their potential destination countries (de Haas, 2007, 2011, Mbaye, 2014). Migration policies of the country of origin of migrants especially in authoritarian states also play a role in restricting migration flows (de Haas, 2011).
References
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