Separation from family is hard, but it gets worse when you are separated by borders, and your separation is necessary, so you can earn for your family. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
The problems faced by immigrants:
One of the most important reasons for immigration is financial difficulties, or the goal to earn more money than what their country can offer. In order to sustain a family, one member of the family, usually the one with the highest credentials, moves to another country that promises better employment option, in order to send money back to the family. Living away from home can be very hard. It means a lot of loneliness, grief, pain.
Even though there are so many emotional wounds that the immigrants carry, and experience a lot of hardship, the experience at the end is most likely to be worth it. But usually, the families have no other choice but resort to immigration in the hopes that the future of their children would be better. Here are some of the major factors that immigrants go through:
The Difference in Culture
This comes as a culture shock to most immigrants that their target countries are not at all like what they have seen on TV screens. All the hopes and dreams that they bring with them, from their country, soon dissipates as reality takes over. This culture shock may cause a lot of emotional problems for immigrants; most of them are not able to get used to these.
Language Barrier
This is one of the most important factors that affect an immigrant. Unless they know the basics of the language of the country they are traveling to, most immigrants find themselves isolated and alone, unable to connect with anyone, unless they find someone who knows their mother tongue. Moreover, this is worse for the illegal immigrants, who have to live in the constant fear of being deported.
Homesickness:
This one hits the hardest and at the most random moments; you might enter a bakery, and the smell of fresh bread would remind you of home, and the realization will hit that you are several hundred or thousands of miles away from home. The best way to overcome this is to find people from your community in your locality. Additionally, keep small reminders, e.g. clothes, cooking, etc to ease your homesickness.
Economic Difficulties:
While it is a good idea to send money, but international money transfer costs a lot if you consider the fee that is charged by the banks. It isn’t just that the family back home is struggling, but the person in a different country also faces a lot of economic difficulties. Many countries offer lesser wages to immigrants, whereas others delay the salary payment by months. There are very few laws that protect immigrants in foreign countries.
Statistics:
258 million (2017) is the estimated number of people who are, by definition, classified as immigrants; in the sense that they are living in a country that is different from the country that they were born in. The rate of immigrants going to other countries has been increasing ever since the 2000’s (the increase is about 2.8%).
The average age of the migrants was between 20-64 years, which is considered the working age. Around 6 out of every 10 immigrant is likely to settle in Asia or Europe. These two countries have over 158 million immigrants altogether.
Immigration may seem like an impossible feat, but on the darkest of nights make sure you remind yourself why you are doing it and what it means for your family!
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