Exploring Voluntary and Involuntary Migration: Modern Migration Trends in Perspective

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19628473

Lawrence Vorvornator and Joyce Mdiniso (Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Zululand, South Africa)

The study explores modern migration trends to establish whether they are voluntary or involuntary. The study is relevant because of migrants’ classification into economic and refugees, and the 1951 U.N. Convention’s refugees protection against economic migrants. Modern refugees demography (women & children hold no political opinions) are different from the 1950s Soviet dissident refugees, mostly intellectuals from cities who held different political opinions and were generally persecuted. Grounded in Massey et al’s migration theories classification as ”originators” and ”propositions”, the study explores voluntary and involuntary modern migration trends. A focus on these two areas is what sets this study apart from similar researches. After conducting a meta-study of the relevant qualitative information on these areas, findings reveal that migrants’ classification as economic and refugees needs to be revisited. Because it does not portray modern migration trends, which comprises voluntary and involuntary elements. Migration drivers, such as push (war & drought), are coerced, and pull (amenities), which compels migrants to migrate have an element of forced migration. These factors are blended sometimes to trigger modern migration. The paper argues that modern migration, unlike in olden days, where voluntary migrants (economic) and involuntary migrants (refugees) were easy to identify, modern migration consists of both voluntary and involuntary migration. Some of these are triggered by combined factors, namely, industry concentration in cities, practices (gayism), and drought, which affects people’s livelihoods. The paper therefore calls for re-visitation of migrants classification, and the U.N. 1951 Convention’s re-examination to be abreast with modern migration.