Migrations et mobilités

Migrations et mobilités

Linked axes

This axis crosses Identités et échanges and Espace privé et espace public. Problematic: How do migrations transform identities, economies and politics in English-speaking countries?

Key figures

• 272 million international migrants worldwide in 2023 (IOM).
• USA: 51 million foreign-born residents (15 % of population).
• UK: 16 % of residents born abroad (2022 census).
• Australia: 30 % of the population born abroad — one of the highest rates in the OECD.

Historical landmarks

• 1620 — Mayflower puritans land in Massachusetts.
• 1845–1852 — Irish Potato Famine: 1 million emigrate to the USA.
• 1892–1954 — Ellis Island processes 12 million arrivals.
• 1948 — Empire Windrush brings Caribbean workers to the UK.
• 1965 — Hart–Celler Immigration Act abolishes US racial quotas.
• 2024 — record arrivals at the US-Mexico border.

Vocabulary

English	French
asylum seeker	demandeur d'asile
refugee	réfugié
green card	carte de résidence (USA)
border wall	mur frontalier
melting pot / salad bowl	creuset / mosaïque
diaspora	diaspora
brain drain / brain gain	fuite / gain de cerveaux
naturalisation	naturalisation
undocumented migrant	sans-papiers

Cultural references

• Films: In America (2002), The Namesake (2006), The Farewell (2019), Minari (2020).
• Literature: Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner; Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah.
• Music: Bob Marley, Buffalo Soldier; M.I.A., Borders.

Debate

• Economic argument — migrants fill labour shortages (tech in Silicon Valley, NHS staff in the UK) and boost GDP.
• Cultural argument — cosmopolitan cities (London, NYC, Toronto) thrive on diversity.
• Critical voices — concerns over wage pressure, housing, and integration; rise of restrictive policies (UK Rwanda scheme, US Title 42).

Sample paragraph

Far from being a burden, migrants generated nearly USD 7 trillion in the global economy in 2022 according to the World Bank. Yet the recent surge of populist parties shows that this economic contribution is rarely enough to ease political anxieties about national identity.