Types of Migration

Medical treatment

Around 60,000 people from the UK travelled abroad to receive medical treatment in 2009. Nearly 26,000 of these were for dentistry. Even when travel costs are included, it can be cheaper to travel abroad to have dental work done.

Cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment and orthopaedic treatment are also reasons for travel. People may be unhappy with the NHS or face a long waiting list.

Making this choice does have problems - it can be harder to check that private doctors in other countries have the correct qualifications, and people may not be fully insured. Infections or superbugs may be brought back to the UK.

Competitive sport

Athletes may be required to travel around the globe to compete in various tournaments. Sport may also require someone to take temporary residence in a country to fulfil a contract. Football in the UK is a sport that attracts foreign players. Pull factors are higher wages and the reputation of the country.

 
Retirement migration

Many people plan to spend their retirement in a different area. The south-west counties of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are popular.

The perceived attractions include:

·         a slower pace of life

·         the scenery, the community

·         away from the busy larger cities

·         lower crime rates

Popular areas for retirement migrants have problems as a result of this:

·         pressure on health care

·         demand for social services

·         an increase in house prices

·         a lack of suitable housing

There are also advantages:

·         there is an increased demand for local services - so the local shop and pubs have more custom

·         jobs in social care and health care are available

·         a growth of age related services, such as chiropodists, social groups and bingo

·         younger retired people spend "the grey pound", spending money through travel and recreation

Economic migration

Economic migration is defined as a choice to move to improve the standard of living by gaining a better paid job.

When Poland and seven other Eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004, the UK received many economic migrants. There were 500,000 workers from Eastern Europe in 2009. The pull factors included wages five times greater than they could get at home. Some come for seasonal jobs, such as vegetable and fruit picking. More qualified migrants may look for medical or education jobs. The Eastern European migrants are not evenly spread across the UK.