Aditi Simlai Tiwari
It has now been established that throughout human history, man has been on the move. Foreign armies and marauding hordes would move across continents to invade countries. Whatever the real reasons (trade, especially in spices, spreading religion, etc) those conquests often served to establish a different cultural and political hegemony. In recent times however, a result of ongoing conflicts is the displacement of large numbers of people. In their quest for the safety of life and security, many are forced to find new homes beyond national boundaries.
Of course, outgoing and highly motivated and skilled people are always on the move. Their skills and talents often are worth a great deal more overseas than in their respective home countries. Others have experienced forms of discrimination and/or injustice (perceived or otherwise). To many of these go-getters, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. For the vast majority of newcomers, the primary purpose of moving to foreign shores is related to efforts to improve their standards of living and raise their families in peace. In brief, we can say that the pull factors which tend to attract migrants usually tend to offer the best prospects to realize dreams.
Contemporary Migration:
As the famous adage goes, “The times, they are a changing.” This is proved by the fact that while some people migrate to foreign countries to seek refuge from persecution, an overwhelming majority today move to improve the quality of their lives. Also, many people considering a move to a foreign country have relatives who for decades have lived and thrived there. These days people know almost instinctively that countries like the US, Canada, UK or Singapore are great places to come, gain secure jobs, raise their families and build a bright future. Most of the countries that attract migrants are blessed with abundant natural resources, have thriving economies, developed infrastructure and a generally higher standard of life. What these countries lack are people with the talents to innovate and the skills, muscles and determination to sustain a strong economy.
Newcomers might feel alone initially, but many countries offer government programs to provide resettlement assistance to those in need. Consequently, most newcomers find it easy to integrate within mainstream society (unless of course they choose otherwise).
Security of Life:
Let us consider the other factors that may be responsible for pulling immigrants to foreign countries. In most developed countries of the world there is a clear separation of Church and State. It means that the role of Archbishops, Ayatollahs and Imams, and ‘holy’ others are restricted to their respective congregations and exclusive enclaves. They play no role in how a democratic country and its many provinces and states are governed. This is in absolute contrast to political systems in some countries where citizens are desperate to flee their homelands governed by tyrannical despots and self-
serving theocrats. Furthermore, there are no kidnappers for ransom, no predatory gangs that rob and maim citizens or warring factions or death squads to life threaten the lives of law-abiding citizens.
To conclude we can say that today immigration is a viable and lucrative option. There was a time when many countries advertised themselves to prospective immigrants describing themselves as a “Promised Land”, an “Earthly Paradise” with fertile soil and the healthiest climate in the world. No doubt, people forced to emigrate were convinced and came. But most of us do agree that it was the blood, the sweat, the labour and the indomitable spirit of all the early immigrants which opened up new frontiers in their adopted countries for commerce—agriculture, lumber and transportation, to name a few. The stage is set for all of us to build on the collected strengths and wisdom of these early pioneers. With the doors of countries across the world wide open to immigrants from all over the world and especially India since the mid-1960s, the true impact of newer immigrants is being felt across the length and breadth of the earth.
As to what kind of countries and cultures will emerge from the interplay of immigrants’ creativity, culture and collective efforts, only time will tell!
