Internal Migration

Internal Migration

• A movement between regions within the same country and over relatively short distances

• Does not alter the total population of a country but will change population density and population distribution patterns within the country

Types of internal migration

• Rural to urban• Urban to rural• Inter-urban• Intra-urban• Rural to rural• transmigration

Rural – Urban Migration

• People moving from countryside to cities

• Usually repelled by the push factors in the rural areas

• attracted by the pull factors in the urban areas

• This type of migration increased rapidly in the developing countries in the second half of the 20th century causing rapid urbanisation

• Caused growth of cities in Europe during the industrial revolution

Rural-urban Migrationthe possible factors that may contribute to this movement

Declining rural areas-Loss of most vigorous workforce as many young people leave-Loss of agricultural productivity-Overpopulation results as carrying capacity diminishes-Little or no investment

Growing City- Act as a magnet

attracting people from all over the country

Unemployment- Many seek work in

informal sector

poverty

Other Settlements- Loss of smaller towns

which are encroached by growing cities

High rate of natural increase

- Large families

Crime Social problems

Urban overpopulation

-Cities lack resources to meet needs of increased population

-Food shortages force increased imports

-Rapid growth encourages urban investment programmes

Urban housing shortages

- Slums increase- Shanty towns develop

How do government response to rural-urban migration

1. Investment in rural development projects

2. Land redistribution – under traditional inherotance laws, land are fragmented into smaller pieces but

3. Prohibiting migrants from becoming urban residents. E.g. Hukou System in China

4. Redirect migration to other reception areas. E.g. Indonesia transmigration

5. Encourage emigration instead of internal migrationBangladesh – governemnt actively promotes emigration to reduce the problems of overpopulation

Harbin

Shanghai

X’ian

Chongqing – “vertical City”

Great mosque – X’ian

Rural – urban migrationCase Study: Migration in China

Phase 1-• The communist government in China has tried to keep a

firm control an internal migration. In 1958, it introduced the household registration scheme known as the Hukou system. A household and the individuals within it, were registered in a particular settlement or district. This gave them prove of identity (an ID card), housing, welfare, education rights but it also controlled their movements. The primary aim of this policy was to restrict rural-urban migration people moved, they lost their Hukou rights and entitlements.

Phase 2-

From 1980, China began to introduce a market economy. Capitalist system needs mobile supplies of labour. So in order to bring economic diversification and to reduce rural overpopulation, people were allowed to leave the land but not their district. This short distance migrants were encouraged to set up small businesses in villages and towns. However, during the 1980s, millions of people did move longer distances from the smaller towns to larger cities. They became known as ‘the floating population’ as they were migrants without registration rights. By 1990, the floating population had reached at least 100 millions.

Phase 3-

In the late 1980s, to encourage rapid industrialisation, a scheme of temporary residence permits was introduced. This allows people to move to cities but does not give them full Hokou rights. Since then there have been huge migratory surges to the east coast cities such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Question

• Summarise the stages of Chinese Migration