Migration Intentions Research Articles

Migration intentions among nursing students in a low-middle-income country

BackgroundMigration among skilled labour has been noted as one of the major issues in recent times, especially among health workers. Data from the United Nations show that almost two thirds of people migrating are labor migrants and international migrants constitute 3.5% of the global migration population. Out of the millions of people who migrate across the globe, health workers, especially nurses form a greater portion of these numbers. This study explored nursing students’ intention to migrate to other countries after completing their programs.MethodA descriptive cross-sectional design approach was adopted using self-administered questionnaire that contain aspects of open-ended questions. A sample size of 226 nursing students were recruited using convenient sampling technique.ResultsThe results overall, revealed that 226 nursing students participated in the study. Out of this, most of the respondents 42.5% were aged between 25 and 30 years with majority 53.1% being males. Also, 35% of the participants were married with more than half 59.7% of the respondents being Christians. The results further revealed that most of the participants 64.2% had intention of migrating to other countries. Among those who intended to migrate, 11.7% identified lack of jobs, 39.3% identified low salaries in Ghana while 50.3% identified bad working conditions. The rest 2.8% attributed their intentions to migrate to educational opportunities. Common places of destination included Canada, USA, UK and Australia.ConclusionThe outcome of this study points to the urgent need for low-income countries such as Ghana to urgently put in measures to curb the menace of brain drain among nurses. Improvement in working condition of nurses must be prioritized to motivate their stay.

Impact of Organizational Injustice on Migration Intention of Skilled Workforce in Sri Lanka with the Moderation of Job Embeddedness

Impact of Organizational Injustice on Migration Intention of Skilled Workforce in Sri Lanka with the Moderation of Job Embeddedness

Russian-language adaptation of the abbreviated place attachment scale

The article presents the adaptation of the Abbreviated Place Attachment Scale. Two studies were conducted for this purpose, one with residents of the Chelyabinsk region (n = 335) and another with residents of the city of St. Petersburg (n = 188). The factorial structure, discriminant validity, and reliability of the two subscales, place identification and place dependence, were examined in both samples. As the scale can be applied in various places of residence and leisure, the second study explores two formulations of the statements, as well as the retest reliability. The positive correlation of the scale with general well-being and perceived advantages of living in the specific place indicates the convergent validity of the instrument. Criterion validity was confirmed by examining the influence of the length of residence on place attachment and its role in shaping migration intentions. The results of the psychometric assessment of the Abbreviated Place Attachment Scale attest to its reliability and validity for use in environmental psychology and several related disciplines.

How does housing affordability affect migration intentions of married migrant workers? Social integration as a mediating variable

Increasing migrant workers’ belongingness to the locality is an important step in accelerating high-quality urbanization. Settlement intention can largely indicate this sense of belongingness, which is crucially affected by housing and social integration. Although the settlement intention of migrant workers has been widely investigated, inadequate attention has been paid to hukou transfer intention, which reflects the unique institutional arrangement in China. As family migration has become a trend, this study aims to investigate the two-dimensional migration intentions of married migrant workers in China, i.e. settlement intention and hukou transfer intention, and the mediating role of social integration between housing affordability and migration intentions. Based on the data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017, the structural equation modelling was employed. Furthermore, four dimensions of social integration were examined (economic, social relation, cultural and psychological). The overall hukou transfer intention of married migrant workers was found to be low, whereas the settlement intention was relatively high. Social integration partially mediated the relationship between housing affordability and migration intentions. The regional characteristics of original and inflow places should be given special attention because they substantially affect married migrant workers’ levels of social integration and migration intentions.

Youth migration during war: Triggers of positive aspirations and preservation of human resources in Ukraine

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has become an existential challenge and a trigger of the migration crisis. The study aims to identify migration intentions of youth and factors for the preservation of the young population in Ukraine (a case study of university youth). The study conducts a sociological survey using a Google Forms questionnaire. The sample was formed by the method of three-stage selection: (1) quotas for the share of undergraduate and graduate students; (2) the higher education institutions in Ukraine were selected by the criterion of the number of students and specialties; and (3) field of knowledge. The sample size is calculated based on the resampling method and included 2,200 people from all regions in Ukraine (except Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts). The study reveals that 10% of students plan to go abroad in the near future before graduation, 30% plan to stay in Ukraine only if the socio-economic situation improves after the end of the war, and 28.3% plan to migrate after graduation. The reasons for positive migration aspirations among students are socio-economic and security issues (14.9% can find a job abroad in the short term, 11.1% see the lack of further prospects in Ukraine even after the end of the war). Monitoring of youth migration processes across two vectors – current volumes and potential aspirations – can serve as an information and analytical basis for the development of a new vision of the country’s migration security strategy to preserve human resources in Ukraine.

The role of identification, intergroup contact, and group discrimination in shaping return and circular migration intentions: Recent Turkish immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands

This article investigates return and circular migration intentions among recent Turkish immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands using the “Socio-cultural Integration Processes among New Immigrants in Europe” (SCIP) study ( N = 1,816). Analyses using multinomial logistic regression indicate that future settlement intentions vary with the interplay of identification with home and host countries, intergroup contact with natives, co-ethnics, and other groups, and group discrimination. Findings reveal that home country identification, intersecting with group discrimination, is associated with a higher likelihood of preferring circular migration, amplified by contact with other groups. Conversely, host country identification, when combined with group discrimination, is linked to a higher likelihood of intending to return and a decreased likelihood of considering circular migration—a trend that strengthens with contact with co-ethnics. Notably, the association between contact with natives and future settlement intentions is not contingent on identification or discrimination, and each has distinct effects.

Holding the door slightly open: Germany's migrants' return intentions and realizations

AbstractReturn migration intentions are complex and are not necessarily followed by future return migration. This study compares successful return or repeated migration with self‐declared return intentions. It takes advantage of the latest and unique German Socio‐Economic Panel (SOEP) survey dropout studies and fieldwork to observe a wider return migration window than reported in the literature to answer the question of whether return migration intentions eventually coincided with actual emigration behaviours. Moreover, return migration estimates are examined over this long‐observed return window. This empirical analysis explores (1) whether return intentions eventually materialize, (2) whether they can eventually predict actual return behaviours and (3) whether the determinants of actual and predicted return based on intentions are similar. Overall, my results support that migration intentions can predict actual return behaviour. While the underlying results show discrepancies in the predictors of return intentions and those of actual returns, they show emigration intentions as significant predictors of actual future emigration. Moreover, the findings suggest that life satisfaction significantly correlates with the individual intention to remigrate. Both effects are highly significant.

Information frictions, belief updating and internal migration: Evidence from Ghana and Uganda

Information frictions about benefits of migration can lead to inefficient migration choices. We study the effects of randomly assigned information treatments concerning regional income differentials in Ghana and Uganda to explore participants’ belief updating and changes in internal migration intentions, destination preferences, and actual migration. Treated participants prefer higher income destinations, while effects on intent plausibly follow subjects’ initial under- or overestimation of potential gains, with asymmetric updating propensities. Effects persist for 18 months, and discussions with others about migrating increase, but actual migration does not. Knowledge about income affects intentions and destination choices, but barriers to actual relocation are complex.

Brain Drain: A Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating Migration Intentions of Neurosurgery Trainees in Pakistan.

Background Pakistan has a significant proportion of medical graduates who intend to leave the country for better opportunities abroad, leading to a brain drain. However, the push and pull factors within neurosurgery remain unexplored, emphasizing the need for evaluation to enact policy changes. Materials and Methods We conducted a nationwide survey across 22 College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan accredited neurosurgery training centers in all provinces of Pakistan. SPSS version 26 and STATA 15 were used for data analysis. Results We collected responses from 120 neurosurgery trainees across Pakistan. Trainees were categorized into two groups: those intending to leave (64%) and those intending to stay (36%) in Pakistan. A significant association was observed between the availability of fellowship training in the residents' hospital and the decision to leave or remain in Pakistan ( p = 0.034). About 67.5% of our respondents did not have any publication, and among the intention to leave group, a greater percentage had academic involvement, when compared with the stay group. A significant association ( p = 0.012) was also observed between the decision to leave or remain in Pakistan and the number of publications in nonindexed journals. Conclusion There remains a need for improvement in the standard of training provided by neurosurgery programs across the country. Our study found that disparities in research and academic exposure, as well as the lack of fellowship opportunities, may serve as stimuli for residents to leave Pakistan.

Investigating the emigration intention of health care workers: A cross-sectional study.

To (1) explore the intramigration experience of HCWs within Nigeria, (2) explore the migration intention of health care workers (HCWs) in Nigeria and (3) identify the predictors of migration intention among HCWs in Nigeria. Cross-sectional study. The online survey was used to collect data from 513 HCWs in Nigeria between May and June 2023. Crude and adjusted logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with emigration intention. Analyses were performed on SPSS version 26 at a 95% confidence interval. The study found that 34.4% had intramigration experience, and the rate of intention to emigrate to work in another country was 80.1%. The United Kingdom was the most preferred destination (109 HCWs), followed by Canada (92 HCWs) and the United States (82 HCWs). At the multivariate level, emigration intention was associated with the experience of burnout and duration of practice as a HCW. Nurses had higher emigration intentions than medical doctors. Many HCWs in Nigeria appear to have emigration intent, and nurses are more likely to be willing to migrate than doctors. The Nigerian government may want to explore strategies to reverse the emigration intent of the HCWs in Nigeria.

Rural youth migration intentions in Ecuador: The role of agricultural education programs

In the last decade, rural youth worldwide have grappled with a crisis marked by limited economic opportunities, inadequate services, and underdeveloped infrastructure in their home communities. This has driven a significant uptick in rural-to-urban migration, especially among young people in developing countries. Despite its lower urbanization rate compared to neighboring nations, Ecuador has seen a consistent rise in rural-to-urban youth migration. This trend is primarily attributed to environmental degradation, community conflicts, and rural areas' lack of educational and employment prospects. This study investigated the migration intentions of high school students in rural Ecuador, specifically those enrolled in agricultural and non-agricultural programs. The findings reveal that agricultural programs significantly influence youth migration intentions. Those in agricultural programs express an inclination to migrate. Moreover, students who have migrated before are more likely to migrate. These results underscore the importance of tailoring educational initiatives to inspire youth to explore opportunities within their rural communities. Future research should delve into the perspectives of rural youth and evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural education programs, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of rural development and strategies for retaining youth in rural areas.

Did Covid-19 make things worse? The pandemic as a push factor stimulating the emigration intentions of junior doctors from Poland: A mixed methods study.

Covid-19 has challenged health systems around the world and increased the global competition for medical professionals. This article investigates if the pandemic and its management became an important push factor influencing the migration intentions of medical students and junior doctors and how this factor compared in importance to others. A mixed methods study-a survey and in-depth interviews-was conducted with final-year students at public medical universities in Poland, a country already suffering from a significant emigration of medical staff. The research demonstrated that the difficulties of the Polish healthcare system in dealing with Covid-19 were a factor that slightly positively influenced the emigration intentions of medical students and junior doctors. Nevertheless, the pandemic's influence was not decisive. Factors such as the socio-political situation in Poland (.440**) (including hate speech directed at doctors by politicians and patients), the participants' family situation (.397**), healthcare system organization (.376**), or the opportunity of pursuing a planned career path (.368**) proved more influential. Salary is still important but did not turn out to be among the decisive factors. This allows us to conclude that migration decisions of medical students have a very well-established basis that does not fundamentally change even under the influence of such dramatic situations as the pandemic. This conclusion has important implications for healthcare management and the ongoing discussion in migration studies on the evolution of push and pull factors in place and time.

Delayed effects on migration intentions in an information provision experiment in Ghana

Delayed effects on migration intentions in an information provision experiment in Ghana

Leaving terrorism behind? The role of terrorist attacks in shaping migration intentions around the world

ABSTRACT Terrorism globally yields severe consequences for individuals and societies, potentially driving migration within and across borders. Yet, empirical evidence on its causal impact remains limited. The contribution of our paper is twofold. First, we construct various indicators of terrorist activity at a fine level of spatial and temporal granularity, which allow to accurately identify individuals’ exposure to terrorist threat. Second, we use these geo-localised indicators to empirically analyse the role of terrorist attacks in shaping internal and international migration intentions for 133 countries between 2007 and 2015. Our results indicate that terrorist attacks spur both internal and international migration intentions, though the effect is stronger for the latter. The effect on international migration intentions is linked to the intensity of attacks, rather than their frequency. Furthermore, the impact varies based on individual and country characteristics.

Does exposure to books foster a taste for spatial mobility? Home library size in childhood and adult migration intentions

Abstract Does exposure to books in childhood encourage adult migration? We contend that it does—through reading, which provides a simulative experience and arouses readers’ curiosity, as well as raising their openness to new experiences, awareness of opportunities in other places, and confidence in social situations, all of which foster migration intentions. Using data from the Life in Transition-III Survey, we find that the number of books in a childhood home is positively related to adult migration intentions. This relationship holds after controlling for a set of socio-economic characteristics, including individual and parental education. We also show that the book effect increases with the respondents’ level of education.

Boomerang Entrepreneurs and the Declining Home City’s Place Image: Away on the Brain Drain Flow and Back on the Homesick Flow

Abstract Boomerang entrepreneurs (practicing and nascent entrepreneurs who return to their declining home cities after years away) may especially be an answer to the brain drain, suppressed innovation, and often tepid entrepreneurial ecosystem condition that plague declining cities such as U.S. Rust Belt cities. This conceptual article addresses how the declining home city’s place image might inform and promote a boomerang entrepreneur’s return migration and venturing decisions and with what implications for the place’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Even given homesickness, this kind of return migration is unlikely unless prospective boomerang entrepreneurs revise their place images of their old hometowns. We conceptually develop and support propositions on the relationships between place image and brain drain, between affect and both place image revision and entrepreneurial intentions, and between place image revision and both return migration intentions and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. We also discuss implications for microfoundations of entrepreneurial ecosystems in declining cities, place branding that can encourage boomerang entrepreneurs’ place image revision and return migration to the declining home city, and related research data collection.

Intentions and abilities to migrate from Africa to Europe

AbstractWhile migration from Africa to Europe is increasing, aspiring migrants from Africa are still less likely than those from other continents to migrate to their preferred destinations. An analysis of the reasons for this is needed. This paper investigates how individual‐level traits and country income levels influence intentions and abilities to migrate from Africa to Europe, while also exploring regional differences. It does so through an approach investigating the influence of both micro‐level factors and macro‐level factors, as well as their interactions. It first analyses migration intentions in 47 African countries in the Years 2010–2015, by investigating plans to migrate to Europe. It then analyses abilities to migrate from these countries to Europe in the Years 2011–2016, by exploring the proxy of the conversion of migration plans into flows. The analysis is based on Gallup World Poll, Eurostat, Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development, Frontex, and World Bank data and estimates. The paper finds that 1.4% of individuals in the African countries considered were planning to migrate to Europe in the Years 2010–2015, and an estimated 5.8% of these was able to migrate in 2011–2016. Migration intentions and abilities are shaped by a complex interplay of micro‐ and macro‐level factors. While some individual‐level traits have similar effects on migration intentions across country income levels, others increase the likelihood of planning to migrate to a stronger extent in countries of origin with higher income levels. Abilities to convert migration plans into actual migration, and to do so through regular channels, increase with higher country income levels. The influence of individual‐level traits and country income levels on migration intentions and abilities appears to vary across regions. Findings confirm the relevance of approaches investigating migration intentions and abilities by assessing both micro‐ and macro‐level factors, as well as their interactions. A more nuanced understanding of these interactions is crucial to inform migration policies that recognise the different needs and realities of aspiring migrants.

Exit-Voice Dynamics: How do Hong Kong People Respond to Democratic Backsliding?

Does people's greater intention to migrate deter them from participating in protests? How does protest participation shape intention to migrate? How does the relationship between migration intention and protest change amidst Hong Kong's transition to authoritarianism? Drawing upon Hirschman's exit-voice theory, this study examines the relationship between protest and migration intentions against the changing context across time. We use a time-series dataset on Hong Kong's anti-extradition movement of late 2019 for our analysis. The results show that people who have greater intention to migrate are more likely to participate in protest, but this association wanes as state repression intensifies. We find that migration intention indicates the psychological preparedness to leave, and that the fallback plan emboldens people to speak out. Yet, as the state becomes more repressive, people who intend to migrate are also sensitive to the signals about the repression, which thus attenuates protest participation. This also explains the phenomenon that more active protestors intend to leave to escape repression. People with radical political affiliations are more inclined to emigrate but this relationship attenuates over time, indicating the importance of group effects in curbing migration intentions.

Rural return migration in the post COVID-19 China: Incentives and barriers

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted China's labor market, leading to a decline in employment standards and placing many migrant workers in a precarious working condition. This situation has rekindled public awareness of the “returning-home tide”. However, the motivations behind migrant workers returning home during the post-pandemic phase remain unclear. Drawing on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior, this study based on surveys of 349 migrant workers in Sichuan and Chongqing, aims to elucidate the key influencing factors and mechanisms driving migrant workers' motivation to return to their hometowns. Our results show that Behavioral attitude (BA), Subjective norms (SN), Perceived behavioral control (PBC), and Perceived support (PS) significantly and positively impact migrant workers' behavioral intention (BI) to return to their hometowns. Two prominent pathways, namely ‘COVID-19→BA→BI’ and ‘COVID-19→SN→BI’, emerge as crucial in determining the return migration intention of migrant workers. Additionally, Commercial Housing (CH) plays a significant and negative moderating role in the relationship between COVID-19 and Actual behaviour (AB). These results contribute to an improved understanding of the behavioral intentions of migrant workers to return home, offering important implications for enhancing the well-being of low-skilled labor in developing countries.

Between a rock and a hard place: Multisystem resilience and Honduran youth migration intentions

AbstractMore is known about how ‘push factors’ motivate emigration and how immigrants adapt to their new environment than about psychological factors associated with migration intentions for those experiencing adversity in their country of origin. This paper explores the association between multisystem resilience and migration intentions among youth in Honduras. In this context of high economic need and contextual violence, higher levels of resilience are associated with higher levels of migration intentions among those who have a job and thus the ability to navigate or negotiate access to resources – economic, social and psychological – that make it possible to consider migration. Among those who have not been victims of violence and consequently may not have that motivation to migrate, higher levels of resilience are associated with lower migration intentions.