Migration Creates Global Connections

In this assignment, the strengths and weaknesses of the claim that migration creates global connections, will be discussed. This will be done by discovering what counts as migration and how it is valued, how global connections can be both positive and negative, about the concepts of 'diaspora' and 'translocalism' and how important they are when considering both migration and global connections. To enable the discussion of the subject matter, it must first be understood what is meant by the terms 'migration' and 'global connections', migration is used to describe the circulation of people from their country of origin into other countries, this can be due to escaping from a politically oppressive climate or simply moving to a sunnier place to spend your elderly years. It is somewhat trickier however, to outline the term 'migrant' as lots of different criteria can be used to characterise one. A small example of the points that can be used to describe a migrant are; country of birth, whether or not you hold citizenship within the country you live and whether you have been living in a country, that isn't that of your usual residence, for more than a year, if this is the case you are classed as an international long-term migrant (Raghuram, 2009, p164). Of course there are many other things that can be considered when classifying a migrant but these seem to be the predominant deciders. Global connections are literally as they sound, a connection between two or more international regions, to one area or person(s) within that area. For example, a migrant may travel to live within a country, but they will also maintain connections within their 'home' country, along with any other countries that they have visited or lived in along the way.

Migration describes not just the arrival of migrants to a certain place, but also the exit and circulation of them, the value they hold within an area can be positive and negative, as mentioned previously, the way in which a migrant is...