Specific Motivations and Underlying Causes of Undocumented Migration
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.1983.tb00431.x |
| Date | 01 April 1983 |
| Published date | 01 April 1983 |
Specific
A40
t
iva
t ions
and Underlying Causes
of
Undocumented
Migration
CONCLUSIONS
1.
It is recognized that undocumented or irregular migration whether from or to
developed and developing countries, in all continents, forms part of the broader
phenomenon of migration. The reasons and motivations vary according to different
regions and can be, for instance, ecological, social, economic, ethnic, political, geo-
graphical, demographic and religious. Socio-economic factors, however, predominate.
2.
These major socio-economic factors include, among others, the pressure exerted by
certain international and local conditions (lack of suitable job opportunities, low
salaries, inequitable distribution of income and other resources, etc.) as well as the
attraction of better living standards, higher incomes and greater job opportunities
offered by other countries.
3.
Social factors also play an important role
in
creating conditions for migration, for
instance, cultural affinity and desire for vertical mobility. Improved communication
facilities and media information facilitate such movements.
4.
It
is recognized that undocumented or irregular migration is mainly spontaneous
and is due to specific causes which can be identified in:
a) the absence or inadequacy of migration laws and regulations;
b) complexity of existing laws and procedures
as
well
as
difficulty in obtaining
necessary documentation for legal immigration;
c) quotas and restrictive legislation adopted by certain receiving countries;
d) ignorance of existing migration legislation due to low level of education, insuf-
ficient information, difficult access to official sources of information and documenta-
tion;
e) in certain regions, the ignorance or non-recognition of national frontiers where
these divide economic, social and ethnic communities;
f)
the demand by certain unscrupulous employers for cheap, irregular foreign man-
power;
g)
illegal trafficking of labour force of employers and intermediary agents.
5.
By its nature, the
flow
of undocumented or irregular migrants is extremely
difficult to quantify and control. The resulting lack of precise information makes it
more difficult for governments to take adequate corrective measures to help diminish
the phenomenon. However, in some countries more data from administrative records
and surveys do exist than are tabulated and analysed.
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