Why do people immigrate?

Question

Why do people decide to move to other countries? Sometimes they even immigrate illegally.

Answer 1

This is a very complicated question with many facets. The list below is far from complete, but these are a few reasons people choose to immigrate:

• When a country goes to war, innocent families are caught in the chaos. Sometimes the only way to survive is to leave the country and live somewhere else. This could mean walking hundreds of miles to the nearest border, or it could mean taking your family halfway across the world. People who immigrate to get away from a war are known as refugees, because they are looking for refuge from their country’s conflict. Refugees may or may not have opportunities in another country. They may not even speak the language. But they are doing what they must to survive.
• A higher standard of living. Having a high standard of living is important to a lot of people. Oftentimes, if they are unable to immigrate as a family, a parent will send their child abroad for a better lifestyle. Parents try their best to provide their children with the lifestyles and future prospects that they were not able to acquire for themselves. Sometimes the only way to give your child a better life is to send them to another country with better opportunities.
• Earning a better salary. Many people change jobs within their country, but some need to move to another country to secure their financial future. In India, for example, government jobs are plentiful and tax-free.
• War isn’t the only difficulty that refugees escape from. Famine, disease, and other natural disasters can devastate a nation. These types of catastrophes can make a country nearly ruined, forcing the inhabitants to pick up and move somewhere else.
• Governments aren’t always fair. Sometimes a particular group of people will be singled out for unjust treatment and oppression. They could be denied basic rights or freedoms, or even physically harmed- just because of their identity. Sometimes the government implements this directly through unjust and bigoted lawmaking, or sometimes they simply look the other way while the group is mistreated by the rest of the population. This is called persecution, and victims of persecution are likely to move to another nation, where the government won’t mistreat them.
• Educational opportunities are different in different countries. It may be to the benefit of a student to travel abroad to attend a university, high school, or professional institute.
• Friends and relatives might move to another country. When people move away, their families and friends may be prompted to join them. Researchers invite their colleagues to immigrate to collaborate on research. For example, after my uncle immigrated to America, he invited my other family members, and now most of us live here in America.
• Maybe the place you live is just getting old. You’re getting tired of seeing the same things. Some people are adventurous, and they move to a new country to explore new territory, a new culture, and maybe start a whole new life!

Source: http://www.eb5select.com/news/7-reasons-why-people-want-to-immigrate/

Answer 2

My husband was born in Mexico and he immigrated here, not because he disliked Mexico, but because it’s not a rich country and he wanted to do better than his father did. He told me that his father worked in the fields while his mother took care of the kids, so he rarely saw his father at all. When he did, he was tired or drunk, and not very caring. My husband wanted to be different from his father. He wanted to provide for his family, keep them well fed, and live the “American Dream”. What’s funny is that life isn’t much different here. We make more money, but we spend more money as well. I think it goes back to that old saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”, or in my husband’s case, the other side of the river. I’m sorry if that is offensive to anyone, I put that in for my husband, although he technically didn’t cross a river.

Why do people immigrate? Wish my story can answer this question.