Challenges Faced by Immigrants

Challenges Faced by Immigrants

Introduction

The process of moving to a foreign country in search of settlement, jobs, or security is referred to as immigration. The victims of immigration undergo a series of challenges ranging from the language barrier and housing to social unrest. It is worth noting that the problems were not only faced by past immigrants, but also the present population. Based on the above highlights, this paper will critically describe the similarities, which include language barrier, unemployment, and housing, while differences are based on settlement social unrest grounds.          

Similarities

Language barrier

The language barrier is among the significant challenges that were experienced by both past and present immigrants. Notably, it is was challenging for both immigrants to get used to the new environment due to minimal interaction (Baglay & Nakache, 2018). Besides, the immigrants are demanded to interact with other residents while minding their daily chores, including shopping and schooling. As a result, they are required to learn the hard to interpret native languages, for instance, Spanish or French (Joppke, 2017). Once individuals move to a foreign country, they are advised to learn one language, which is endorsed by the government as among the official languages, and it is not always favorable.

Employment opportunities

It is worth noting that securing jobs has been a significant challenge for immigrants in the past and now. Once moved to a new country, one is required to search for a suitable job that can sustain the demands of living standards (Passel, 2019). In most cases, it is mandatory for those who offered jobs in foreign countries to have professional working skills, including speaking, core competencies, and experience, and some do not meet the above specifications. As a consequence, they experience a horrific challenge while working towards securing a sustainable job (Joppke, 2017). For instance, in Canada, people’s credentials cannot be recognized until they land into the country and develop a tangible experience.

Housing

Both the past and current immigrants find it strenuous to secure housing. Notably, the language barrier can be a significant hindrance for one to have access to essential amenities. Still, a lack of adequate information on how the housing sector works is yet a considerable challenge. Passel (2019) suggests that immigrants struggle much in the process of acquiring knowledge regarding the safest areas to abode. One can relate to how past immigrants struggle to have access to housing information due to the absence of the internet (Joppke, 2017). However, the current ones are forced to do in-depth research related to housing, which is sometimes challenging.

Differences

The underlying research gives a broader view of differences between the challenges faced by the present and past immigrants. The present immigrants find it challenging to acquire a settlement area due to high population density. Baglay & Nakache (2018) opine that most people migrate searching for new opportunities and are found in urban areas which densely populated. On the other hand, the past immigrants struggled a lot while looking for settlement areas because of the scattered population (Joppke, 2017). Precisely, they wanted to be near other groups that had already settled for interaction, security, and consultation purposes.

In the recent past, people have been experiencing unemployment crisis from all walks of the world. As a result, they opt to migrate to other countries, searching for greener pastures. Once moved to foreign countries, it becomes a challenge for them to secure well- paying jobs that can withstand the demands of living in urban areas (Passel, 2019). Conversely, those who migrated in the past found it challenging to acquire a secure settlement area that they could utilize for farming. Joppke (2017) enlightens that they could move to various places in search of previously settled areas to save time during preparation.

Currently, there is social tension, though not much, due to the enforcement of immigration laws. The immigration department ensures that immigrants are subjected to in-depth scrutiny to uphold social security (Joppke, 2017). Notably, it is through reduced social tension that the immigrants experience minimal instances of stereotypical discrimination. In the past, immigrants faced a series of extreme social-related challenges due to much emphasis on cultural beliefs (Baglay & Nakache, 2018). Overly, racial groups had different social statuses, and residents were to live according to their provision. Therefore, introducing new social relations could induce communal tension.

Conclusion

All in all, immigration plays a significant role in a person’s lives since they can have access to services and products provided by foreign countries, including housing, jobs, and tourism. Based on the above discussion, it is evident that immigrants face challenges while trying to acquire international services. Additionally, some of the past troubles tend to be similar to the present one. The difficulties experienced in both scenarios may include language barriers, unemployment, and housing. However, the current challenges do not have adverse impacts as compared to the past, including social tension, security, and discrimination. Notably, the actions of immigrants should be in line with the legal system of the foreign countries.

References

Baglay, S., & Nakache, D. (Eds.). (2018). Immigration regulation in federal states: challenges

and responses in comparative perspective (Vol. 9). Springer Science & Business Media.

Joppke, C. (2017). Immigration challenges the nation-state. Challenge to the Nation-State:

Immigration in Western Europe and the United States, 5-46.

Passel, J. S. (2019). Demography of immigrant youth: Past, present, and future. The Future of

Children, 19-41.