Refugees and Economic Migrants

In this essay, there is going to be a discussion on how refugee migrants are different from economic migrants. The differences between these two groups are going to be looked at in terms of settlement or citizenship and assimilation among other issues. The concluding paragraph is going to present a brief summary of the discussion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Refugees and Economic Migrants specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A large number of people decide to move to the U.S for various reasons and also under diverse circumstances. As a result, these individuals cannot be treated as a uniform group and they are therefore classified into two separate groups. The two groups are refugee migrants and labor or economic migrants. Refugees are individuals who are running away from their home country for fear of being persecuted. On the other hand, economic migrants are people who are looking for better jobs as well as f inancial security. One of the most significant distinguishing characteristics between the refugees and the economic migrants is their ability to go back to their country of origin. The refugee migrants are not in a position, or have no willingness, to go back to their country of origin and this is because they have the fear of being persecuted and therefore, these people have to make a life within the country to which they have moved. But on the other hand, the economic migrants have the freedom to go back to their home country whenever they want. Indeed, for a large number of the economic migrants, the intention of them staying in another country is just to get money and then go back to their home country to support family members, purchase land, set up houses and eventually retire or settle in their homeland. Another clear difference between the refugee migrants and the economic migrants is that; there is higher likelihood for the refugee migrants to have less social connections w ith their country of origin which can be realized through the return visits. Contrary to this, the economic migrants are in a position to go back home to meet their loved ones. Basing of the differences mentioned above, it can be pointed out that by the refugee migrants not having the option to travel to their country of origin; they have a longer time limit of staying in the host country. Therefore, they are more likely to engage in investing in â€Å"country-specific† human capital.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Such a move may involve the refugees taking an initiative to improve their language skills, turning out to be naturalized citizens and joining the education system of the host country. This indicates that there is higher likelihood for the refugee migrants to assimilate to the â€Å"earnings growth path† of the people who are born and brought up in th e host country. As it has been found out, there are several differences between the refugees and economic migrants. For instance, the economic migrants are free to visit or to go back to their home country. In the contrary, the refugees are not able to do this because they fear to be persecuted. Moreover, the economic migrants are able to have more social links with their home country than the refugees. Since the refugees are more likely to settle in the host country for a longer time, they seek to develop the language skills and also join the new education system; eventually becoming the naturalized citizens of the host country. Therefore, this group is more likely to adapt to the â€Å"earnings growth path† of the native-born populace. This essay on Refugees and Economic Migrants was written and submitted by user Sadie Glover to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.