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Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 15567

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, 70 Eleftheriou Venizelou Street, 17676 Athens, Greece
Interests: rural development; migration; rural transformation; family farming; rural resilience; return to the countryside; transformative mobilities; rural commons; sustainable development
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Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, 70 Eleftheriou Venizelou Street, 17676 Athens, Greece
Interests: rural development; rural transformation; migration; mobilities; social and spatial mobility; sustainable development; qualitative analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the years, migration research has primarily focused on immigrants’ movement to and settlement processes in urban areas. More recently, attention has also turned to investigate the ways immigrants are emplaced and integrated in rural localities and small towns and to study social change and rural restructuring. In this context, it is important to place more emphasis on the processes, the socioeconomic preconditions, the challenges of immigrants’ settlement, and the complex ways in which immigrants’ movements across rural, regional, and peripheral areas are evolving. Numerous factors are considered critical when discussing the size, intensity, and duration of migration flows towards non-metropolitan areas, such as globalization, counter-urbanization, agricultural intensification/restructuring, climate change, changes in the political and/or economic conjuncture, etc.

The placement and social integration of incoming populations raise both opportunities and challenges, and therefore, various aspects and conditions need to be discussed in regard to the attractiveness and/or the resilience of non-metropolitan areas.

Some relevant pressing questions and debates include the following: Which are the major factors affecting the connections between urban and non-urban localities and places in relation to population flows? In which ways do inequalities influence immigration and mobility processes? What is the impact of immigration on the receiving non-metropolitan/rural areas? How does immigration interact with other processes in the receiving areas? What factors enable or hinder immigrants’ social integration into rural areas? Which are the basic roles of internal/international migrants and the new stakeholders in addressing the sustainability goals in rural areas?

This Special Issue seeks to put together a collection of papers presenting original and innovative contributions based on quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, discussing specific case studies drawn from socioeconomic and/or geographical data, seeking to advance sustainability research in non-metropolitan/rural/peripheral areas by examining the role of immigration (international and/or internal) analysed from different perspectives and angles, and aiming to strengthen social resilience in rural areas and sustainable rural development.

Prof. Dr. Apostolos G. Papadopoulos
Dr. Loukia-Maria Fratsea
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immigration
  • international migrants
  • internal migrants
  • refugees
  • lifestyle migration
  • social integration
  • precarity
  • rural development
  • rural transformation
  • sustainable development
  • well-being
  • social conditionality
  • farming
  • intensive agriculture
  • transnationalism

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

48 pages, 9102 KiB  
Article
Can the Relationship Population Contribute to Sustainable Rural Development? A Comparative Study of Out-Migrated Family Support in Depopulated Areas of Japan
by Wanqing Wang, Yumeng Cheng and Yukihiko Saito
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052142 - 1 Mar 2025
Viewed by 390
Abstract
This comparative study examines how geographic isolation and out-migrant motivations shape support systems in two aging, depopulated rural areas of Japan: Shimogo Town and Nanmoku Village. Challenging the prevailing policies’ focus on internal migration as the primary solution for regional revitalization, we highlight [...] Read more.
This comparative study examines how geographic isolation and out-migrant motivations shape support systems in two aging, depopulated rural areas of Japan: Shimogo Town and Nanmoku Village. Challenging the prevailing policies’ focus on internal migration as the primary solution for regional revitalization, we highlight the “relationship population”—a specific group of out-migrated family members who maintain ties to their hometowns—and their diverse contributions to rural sustainability. We employed a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analyses of aging-oriented household survey questionnaires (using multiple correspondence analysis, multinomial logistic regression, k-means, and two-step cluster analysis) and qualitative analyses of interviews with local government officials and residents (case studies in Nanmoku). Our analysis reveals contrasting support patterns: Shimogo exhibits a localized system driven by resident needs, while Nanmoku employs a strategic approach balancing practical support and community engagement. These findings underscore the limitations of one-size-fits-all migration policies and indicate the need for strategies tailored to the local characteristics of each community. By recognizing the diverse motivations behind hometown visits and the contributions to both residents and communities from the “relationship population”, this research advocates shifting the focus from promoting migration to the interplay of family ties, local support systems, and the agency of residents and out-migrated families. This perspective offers actionable insights for policymakers, local leaders, and researchers working on rural revitalization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>The conceptual framework of this research highlights the interplay of rural challenges, migration patterns, and family support. This framework emphasizes the importance of the relationship population while also highlighting the limitations of current solutions by using a dynamic approach to depict the connection between migration trajectories and community sustainability, providing a basis for understanding the regional dynamics of the contributions of out-migrated families in Shimogo and Nanmoku.</p>
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<p>The local context of Shimogo and Nanmoku, showing transportation networks. This map (created by the authors) shows the geographical locations of Shimogo Town in the Aizu Area (Fukushima Prefecture) and Nanmoku Village in the Seimou Area (Gunma Prefecture) in Japan. Shimogo, located in the Tohoku Region, is more remote but offers better transportation connectivity based on rail networks and accessible routes, whereas Nanmoku, which is geographically closer to Tokyo and located within the Kanto Region, is surrounded by mountainous terrain, which limits its overall accessibility. These contrasting geographic settings also shape these areas’ transportation structures, significantly influencing the frequency and feasibility of hometown visits.</p>
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<p>The locations of Shimogo Town and Nanmoku Village. This map (created by the authors) highlights the geographic positions of Shimogo (Aizu area, Fukushima Prefecture) and Nanmoku (Seimou area, Gunma Prefecture). The locations exhibit contrasting migration patterns: Shimogo’s out-migration to local towns and metropolitan areas versus Nanmoku’s predominance of metropolitan migration. This map provides visual context for this study’s comparative design.</p>
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<p>This map (created by the authors) shows the distribution of depopulated municipalities around Shimogo (Aizu area, Fukushima Prefecture) and Nanmoku (Seimo area, Gunma Prefecture). The MIC defines “depopulated areas” [<a href="#B12-sustainability-17-02142" class="html-bibr">12</a>] as regions experiencing significant population decline, leading to reduced community vitality and limited public resources, as well as meeting certain demographic (population decline rate and aging rate) and financial criteria. Both Shimogo and Nanmoku are depopulated municipalities. Areas that partially meet these criteria are designated as “partially depopulated municipalities”; “designated municipalities” also face similar challenges, as shown in <a href="#sustainability-17-02142-f004" class="html-fig">Figure 4</a>.</p>
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<p>This flowchart outlines the methodological path of the study, ranging from the initial data collection in Shimogo (Phase 1) to the comparative analysis in Nanmoku (Phase 2). It highlights the key steps, methods, and focus areas of each phase and the way that data were used for further analysis. For detailed information about the data analysis methods, see <a href="#sec4dot4-sustainability-17-02142" class="html-sec">Section 4.4</a>.</p>
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<p>This bar chart displays the geographic locations of relatives who visit their hometowns monthly or more often, presented as a percentage of the total monthly or more-frequent visitors within each group: Shimogo relatives, Nanmoku Family A (most frequent visitors), and Nanmoku Family B (second most frequent visitors). Visit frequencies were significantly different across the different locations for Shimogo (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001, Cramer’s V 0.323), Family A (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05; Cramer’s V 0.268), and Family B (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001, Cramer’s V 0.381), as assessed using Chi-square tests. Local area includes the town or village itself; local region includes Seimou for Nanmoku and Aizu for Shimogo; Tokyo Metropolitan includes the Kanto region (Gunma excluded for Nanmoku).</p>
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<p>Motivations shape contributions: visualizing support pathways in depopulated rural Japan. This Sankey diagram illustrates the relationships between key behaviors and the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) dimensions that capture differing forms of support and are expressed by the actions of the Shimogo family, Nanmoku Family A, and Nanmoku Family B. The width of each pathway is proportional to the loading values derived from the MCA discrimination measures, which emphasize that motivation shapes the way in which support is provided. The Sankey diagram was generated using Chiplot (<a href="https://www.chiplot.online" target="_blank">https://www.chiplot.online</a>). Citation [<a href="#B63-sustainability-17-02142" class="html-bibr">63</a>] refers to the methodology behind the Sankey diagram visualization.</p>
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<p>Migration pathways and motivational clusters for out-migrated families. This map illustrates the primary out-migration pathways for Shimogo and Nanmoku families, highlighting distinct clusters of motivational behavior among returning relatives. The Shimogo pathways emphasize localized support, while the Nanmoku pathways showcase varied patterns, including obligation-driven, leisure-oriented, and multi-faceted engagements. The dashed arrows indicate potential U-turn and J-turn migration patterns after retirement.</p>
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<p>Intergenerational mobility and support pathways in Nanmoku. This figure illustrates the mobility and support patterns of two Nanmoku families based on qualitative interview data (see <a href="#sustainability-17-02142-t010" class="html-table">Table 10</a> for details). Case 1 (top) concerns an 80-year-old woman who lives alone and is supported by her two sons. Case 2 (bottom) concerns a couple (both over 65) supported by their children.</p>
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<p>MCA of Family A’s activities in Nanmoku. (<b>a</b>) Discrimination measures (contributions) for each variable for Dimensions 1 and 2. Age and geographic location are included as supplementary variables. (<b>b</b>) Joint category plot of variables. Dimension 1, representing Family A’s support for daily activities, is displayed on the horizontal axis; Dimension 2, representing the community engagement of Family A, is displayed on the vertical axis. The proximities of the points reflect the strengths of their associations.</p>
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<p>Mean (±SD) scores for Dimension 1 (daily support provided to residents) and Dimension 2 (community support) for 3 clusters (N = 155) identified via a k-means cluster analysis of the MCA object scores. One-way ANOVAs: <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001 for both dimensions (Dimension 1: F (2, 152) = 217.161; Dimension 2: F (2, 152) = 156.232). These results suggest that the clusters effectively capture meaningful differences in daily support and community engagement patterns.</p>
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<p>MCA of Family B’s activities in Nanmoku. (<b>a</b>) Discrimination measures (contributions) for each variable for Dimensions 1 and 2. Age and geographic location are included as supplementary variables. (<b>b</b>) Joint category plot of variables. Dimension 1, representing Family B’s on-demand support for daily activities, is displayed on the horizontal axis; Dimension 2, representing community engagement by focusing on the social contact of Family B, is displayed on the vertical axis. The proximities of the points reflect the strengths of their associations.</p>
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<p>The mean (± SD) scores for Dimension 1 (on-demand support) for 3 clusters (N = 119) identified via a two-step cluster analysis of the MCA object scores. One-way ANOVAs: <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001 for dimension 1: F (2, 116) = 30.928. Only dimension 1 is a significant predictor for Family B. Dimension 1 (On-Demand Support) captures this task-oriented nature. It reflects a focus on providing specific types of practical assistance when needed. Dimension 2 (Social Contact) is not a significant predictor of visit frequency for Family B. This further supports the idea that visits pertaining to this family are not primarily driven by a desire for social engagement but rather a specific need for support.</p>
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16 pages, 1133 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Urban–Rural Fringe Landscape Environment Enhancement on the Settlement Intentions of Young Talents
by Ruomei Tang and Xiangbin Peng
Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8894; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208894 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
As new urbanization and rural revitalization strategies are implemented, the relationship between urban and rural areas is rapidly changing. Accordingly, rural landscape design is becoming increasingly important for promoting rural development. Located at the intersection of urban and rural areas and offering unique [...] Read more.
As new urbanization and rural revitalization strategies are implemented, the relationship between urban and rural areas is rapidly changing. Accordingly, rural landscape design is becoming increasingly important for promoting rural development. Located at the intersection of urban and rural areas and offering unique geographic characteristics and developmental potential, urban–rural fringe villages offer a valuable setting for assessing how rural transformation and landscape improvement influence the settlement intentions of regional talents. Drawing upon the Landscape Affordance Theory and the Stimulus–Organism–Response Theory, this study develops a model to evaluate how enhancements in comfort, convenience, safety, and aesthetics within rural landscapes influence the perceptions of livability and settlement intentions of young rural talents. The research utilizes a survey of residents aged 16 to 45 in representative urban–rural fringe villages in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, collecting 230 valid responses. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 28 to assess the impact of these landscape attributes on livability perceptions and settlement intentions. This study demonstrates that Perceived Convenience (PCV) and Perceived Aesthetics (PA) have significant positive effects on Design Satisfaction (DS) and Perceived Livability (PL). The research identifies the positive impacts of the four characteristics of rural landscape enhancement on PL, ranking them in order of influence: PCV > PA > Perceived Safety (PS) > Perceived Comfort (PC). Similarly, the positive effects on DS are ranked as follows: PCV > PA > PC. PL is identified as having the strongest impact on Talents’ Intention to Stay (TIS), indicating that improving livability perceptions is crucial for enhancing both design satisfaction and settlement intentions. Our findings demonstrate that improvements to the convenience, comfort, aesthetics, and safety of the landscape environment can significantly affect the settlement intentions of young talents in rural areas. Through field research and empirical data validation, this study highlights the positive effect of enhancements in four key areas of landscape design on the perceived livability and settlement intentions of young talents in rural settings, offering clear guidance for rural planning and design initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>SOR model.</p>
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<p>The hypothesized model (created by the authors).</p>
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<p>Path analysis of the research model.</p>
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21 pages, 948 KiB  
Article
Using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior to Explore the Effect of Farmer Differentiation on Their Intention to Revitalize Idle Homesteads: Empirical Evidence from Shaanxi, China
by Mengyuan Lu, Bin Guo and Jianna Li
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8252; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188252 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1263
Abstract
The revitalization of idle homesteads is an essential element in stimulating rural land resources and assets and promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas. However, existing studies have paid less attention to the relationship between the differentiation of farm households and [...] Read more.
The revitalization of idle homesteads is an essential element in stimulating rural land resources and assets and promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas. However, existing studies have paid less attention to the relationship between the differentiation of farm households and revitalization intention. Therefore, exploring the relationship between farmer differentiation and revitalization intention has become the key to improving the revitalization intention. The differentiation of farmers in the process of urbanization is an important factor affecting the intention of farmers to revitalize idle homesteads. This study defines “farmer differentiation” as a second-order factor and is based on the theoretical analysis framework of “farmer differentiation (FD)–farmer cognition (FC)–revitalization intention (RI)” to systematically reveal the relationship between FD and RI with a multi-dimensional perspective. At the same time, we analyze the mediating role of FC in the relationship between FD and RI. The data collected from 881 Shaanxi, China, farmers are analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study show that (1) The dimensions of farmer differentiation (FD) are wealth capital differentiation (WCD) and reputation capital differentiation (RCD). (2) The formation of farmers’ intention to revitalize follows the logical relationship of “FC–RI” in the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB), and subjective norms (SN) are the critical factor. (3) The logical relationship of “FD–FC–RI” in the ETPB has been confirmed. In addition to the direct positive effect of the WCD and RCD on farmers’ intention to revitalize idle homesteads, WCD will indirectly affect RI through the four sub-dimensions of behavioral attitudes (BA), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC) and homestead dependence (HD) under the FC conception. Meanwhile, the chain mediating role of the WCD and FC sub-dimensions in the RCD effect on the intention to revitalize cannot be ignored. Therefore, to increase farmers’ intention to revitalize Idle homesteads, policymakers need to focus on increasing WCD and RCD and helping farmers establish proactive FC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>Analytical framework “FD–FC–RI”.</p>
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<p>Results of structural equation model regression.</p>
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20 pages, 3919 KiB  
Article
Impact of Public Health Emergencies on the Willingness of Rural Migrant Workers to Return Home: Evidence from China
by Chuanfeng Xie, Tao Li, Heping Liao, Xinan Chen and Tingting Zhou
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7375; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177375 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1264
Abstract
In 2022, under the combined influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. The employment landscape is grim, particularly for rural migrant workers, who are under immense pressure to secure employment. This study used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods to identify [...] Read more.
In 2022, under the combined influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. The employment landscape is grim, particularly for rural migrant workers, who are under immense pressure to secure employment. This study used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods to identify the influencing factors of migrant workers’ willingness to return home during public health emergencies and the potential multiple causal relationships, based on 2879 questionnaires on the employment status of migrant workers who are from Chongqing in 2022. The result of this study will be used as a reference by policymakers to formulate employment policies. The results show that: (1) Public health emergencies have no discernible direct impact on people’s willingness to return home. However, they have a significant positive effect on hometown belongings and a significant negative effect on income level and employment stability. These effects are ranked in order of influence: sense of belonging to hometown > income level > employment stability. (2) The willingness to return home is significantly impacted negatively by employment stability and income level, but it is significantly positively impacted by hometown belonging, with employment stability having the biggest impact. (3) There is a substantial inverse relation between income level and sense of belonging to hometown; the higher the income level, the stronger the capacity to withstand outside threats, and the greater the propensity to remain employed. (4) Three pathways exist by which public health emergencies affect migrant workers’ willingness to return home: “PHE→ES→HI”, “PHE→IL→HI”, and “PHE→ES→IL→HI”. (5) Income level and employment stability have multiple chain’mediating effects between public health emergencies and the willingness to return home, while only income level plays a partial mediating role between employment stability and the willingness to return hometown. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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Graphical abstract

Graphical abstract
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<p>Model diagram of willingness to return home.</p>
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<p>Analytical framework of labor transfer based on push–pull theory.</p>
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<p>Results of structural equation modeling of willingness to return home (Analytical framework of labor transfer based on push–pull theory. Annotation: Numbers represent path coefficients; circles (e1–e29) represent residuals).</p>
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<p>Employment support mechanism for returnees.</p>
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15 pages, 629 KiB  
Article
Employment of Migrants as a Response to the Needs of Entrepreneurs in Rural Border Regions—Examples from Poland
by Izabela Zabielska and Grażyna Kowalewska
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5614; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135614 - 30 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1404
Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify the needs of entrepreneurs in the context of labor shortages on the local labor market and supplement them with immigrants from Ukraine. The focus was on border enterprises from rural areas located on the external [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to identify the needs of entrepreneurs in the context of labor shortages on the local labor market and supplement them with immigrants from Ukraine. The focus was on border enterprises from rural areas located on the external border of Poland and the EU. It was determined in which industries cross-border entrepreneurs are looking for migrants to work. A research questionnaire was created to determine the migrant’s profile from the point of view of the entrepreneur’s needs. It covered 400 enterprises, 100 from each of the surveyed voivodeships of Eastern Poland: Warmia-Masuria, Podlaskie, Lublin and Subcarpathia. Correspondence analysis was used to help determine differences in entrepreneurs’ preferences in the studied voivodeships. Entrepreneurs are most likely to employ qualified immigrants with professional experience in flexible forms of work. They expect that immigrants will be more available and will have lower wage requirements compared to local workers, which will translate into lower labor costs and better economic results. They believe that employing immigrants will improve productivity, quality and work discipline. The main limitations include ignorance or poor knowledge of the language of the host country, premature termination of contracts and working under the influence of alcohol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>Eastern Polish border voivodeships (eastern EU borders). Legend: voivodships: (1) Warmia-Masuria; (2) Podlaskie;( 3) Lublin; (4) Subcarpathia.</p>
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<p>List of industries in which surveyed entrepreneurs employed migrant workers (n = 400). Source: Own study.</p>
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<p>Correspondence map relating to the relationship between factors creating the migrant profile in accordance with entrepreneurs’ preferences and place of business (voivodeship). Source: Own study. Notes: 1,…, 22—factors creating the migrant profile in accordance with entrepreneurs’ preferences: 1—a source of acquiring additional specialists and qualified employees; 2—a source of acquiring additional unskilled workers; 3—professional experience possessed by the migrant; 4—greater availability of migrants compared to Polish workers; 5—filling staff shortages/possibility of employment in more flexible forms; 6—salary expectations lower than among Polish employees; 7—migrants’ knowledge about foreign (eastern) markets; 8—reducing production costs and overall company costs/improving economic results; 9—improves the atmosphere and work discipline; 10—improving efficiency and quality of work; 11—employing migrants—a “motivator” for domestic employees; 12—the migrant’s interpersonal competences, willingness to improve one’s own competences, ability to work in a team; 13—job offers too specialized in relation to the migrant’s qualifications/too low professional qualifications; 14—the migrant’s attitude towards work, early termination of contracts, being drunk at work; 15—the entrepreneur will not allow the migrant to work, the need to terminate contracts earlier; 16—the need to have documents confirming education; 17—transport of migrants to work; 18—problems with the pace of work performed by the migrant/failure to follow orders; 19—ignorance/poor knowledge of the language; 20—problems with accepting migrants by Polish workers; 21—existing competition; 22—obtaining benefits from the state when employing migrants in Poland.</p>
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21 pages, 1488 KiB  
Article
Determinants of the Tendency for Migration of Nursing Students Living in Rural Areas of Eastern Poland
by Grażyna Kowalewska and Lesław Markowski
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5498; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135498 - 27 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1475
Abstract
The economic emigration of young people from rural areas in Poland, and in particular the emigration of young medical personnel, is a relatively little-recognized phenomenon. What distinguishes this study from many works on related topics is that the subject of the study is [...] Read more.
The economic emigration of young people from rural areas in Poland, and in particular the emigration of young medical personnel, is a relatively little-recognized phenomenon. What distinguishes this study from many works on related topics is that the subject of the study is the tendency or desire to migrate itself, and not the study of the migration motives of people who have already emigrated. The main aim of the research was to identify the migration conditions of young nurses from rural areas. An additional goal was to determine the directions and types of foreign migrations and their impact on the competitiveness and sustainable development of the studied region. The research was conducted in five voivodeships of Eastern Poland among students at state medical universities. The research tool was a survey, the essence of which was to provide data on the purpose of migration of young people, chances of finding a job abroad, and identification of push and pull migration factors. Based on the logistic regression model, a number of factors were identified explaining the tendency to migrate, such as economic factors, gaining professional experience, and prospects. The influence of factors pushing migration should be reduced through state policy tools. The intensity of migration may significantly impact the sustainable development of healthcare in Poland in the near and distant future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>The tendency to migrate of respondents living in rural areas.</p>
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<p>Willingness to move to another country after graduation.</p>
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<p>The purpose of emigration.</p>
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<p>Main directions of emigration.</p>
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<p>Pull factors.</p>
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<p>Push factors.</p>
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<p>Other factors.</p>
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19 pages, 527 KiB  
Article
Direct and Spillover Effects: How Do Community-Based Organizations Impact the Social Integration of Passive Migrants?
by Caining Yang and Hongyu Xu
Sustainability 2024, 16(11), 4530; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114530 - 27 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1320
Abstract
With the rapid process of urbanization and constant changes in ecological environments, passive migration programs have been popularized among many governments worldwide as a prevalent adaptation strategy. Poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR) emerges as one of China’s flagship initiatives, as the government has shifted [...] Read more.
With the rapid process of urbanization and constant changes in ecological environments, passive migration programs have been popularized among many governments worldwide as a prevalent adaptation strategy. Poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR) emerges as one of China’s flagship initiatives, as the government has shifted its focus from investing in villages with harsh natural conditions to the construction of centralized high-density resettlement communities in small counties and peri-urban regions. The sustainability and well-being of migrants within resettlement communities play a vitally important role in the effectiveness of this program. In line with the integration theory, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and a household survey covering 287 PAR migrant households were conducted to analyze how community-based organizations (CBOs) influence the social integration of PAR migrants. The findings are as follows: (1) Both participants and non-participants in CBOs show higher levels of neighborhood interaction, behavioral adaptation, and identity recognition. However, no significant advantage is yielded by their economic integration. (2) The mechanism of CBOs impacting the social integration of migrants varies between participants and non-participants. The social integration of those migrants participating in a CBO experience increased through cooperation-based social interaction, adherence to organizational norms, and enhanced self-efficacy. In contrast, the social integration of non-participants in CBOs within the same community results from such mechanisms as service delivery-based social interaction, social learning, and community solidarity. Therefore, this article highlights the significance attached to developing CBOs as a sustainable development strategy for passive migrants. Additionally, to better support passive migrants in eliminating poverty, governments are advised to implement sustainable economic support plans through CBOs, with a particular focus on long-term employment assistance programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>Location map of PAR resettlement in T County. Source: Drawn by author.</p>
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20 pages, 440 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Changes in Rural Family Structure on Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency: Evidence from Rice Farmers in China
by Donghui Song, Fengbo Chen and Xi Ouyang
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 3892; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103892 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1843
Abstract
Over the past three decades, China has shifted from a relatively immobile society to one where rural migrant workers are dispersed throughout urban areas, resulting in significant changes in rural family structure. Previous studies have tended to approach migrant workers as homogeneous groups [...] Read more.
Over the past three decades, China has shifted from a relatively immobile society to one where rural migrant workers are dispersed throughout urban areas, resulting in significant changes in rural family structure. Previous studies have tended to approach migrant workers as homogeneous groups within families. In contrast, our attention turns to the diversity among individuals and the complex interactions within families. Based on a survey of rice farmers in five provinces of China, this study aims to explore the heterogeneous impact of changes in rural family structure on the single-factor (i.e., land, labor, and capital) productivity and technical efficiency (TE) of rice production. Methodologically, we calculated the productivity indicator through the Cobb–Douglas production function. Following this, a one-step stochastic frontier approach (SFA) was employed to assess the production frontier and estimate inefficiency. To address self-selection bias in family migration behavior, we applied the propensity score matching method (PSM). The results reveal that significant outcomes are observed only with certain types of changes in rural family structure. The production decisions of rural families are influenced by the migration regions of their family members. Compared to non-migrating families (NM), families with couples’ joint migration outside the province show higher single-factor productivity and TE. We used multiple approaches to examine the results and came to similar conclusions. Therefore, enhancing social security measures and employment opportunities for migrant workers, with specific attention to supporting migrant couples, can have a positive impact on sustainable urban and rural development, as well as food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>Percentage distribution of the structure of families (%). Sources: Authors’ calculation based on the survey data.</p>
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18 pages, 1167 KiB  
Article
The Mediation Effect of Media: Artvin, Reverse Migration, and Social Municipalism
by Mehmet Kocatepe, Cemal Yorgancıoğlu, Mustafa Sağsan and Harun Şeşen
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14304; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914304 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1533
Abstract
Throughout history, migration has had a significant impact on communities, affecting populations, countries, and abandoned or immigrated places in both positive and negative ways. In today’s world, it has become a social element with undeniably profound effects on society and individuals. This study [...] Read more.
Throughout history, migration has had a significant impact on communities, affecting populations, countries, and abandoned or immigrated places in both positive and negative ways. In today’s world, it has become a social element with undeniably profound effects on society and individuals. This study aims to explore the impact of municipal services on migration and reverse migration in Artvin Province. Furthermore, this article aims to fill this gap by analysing the mediating role of the media and examining the relationship between social municipalism and reverse migration in Artvin. This article uses the model of deviant case analysis to explain the phenomenon of migration in the case of Artvin. A quantitative approach was adopted and conducted in the provinces (Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa, and Kocaeli) to which people from Artvin have migrated the most. A total of 700 responses were obtained. The results show that there is a positive relationship between social municipalism and migration and that the media has a mediating effect between social municipalism and migration. While traditional media influence people’s decision to migrate, social media play an important role in the reverse migration decision. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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<p>Research model.</p>
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<p>Social media use mediation model path diagram.</p>
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<p>Traditional media use mediation model path diagram.</p>
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27 pages, 336 KiB  
Article
Migration and Rural Sustainability: Relative Poverty Alleviation by Geographical Mobility in China
by Ning Xu and Chang’an Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6248; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076248 - 5 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2290
Abstract
Migration is an important way for rural labourers to break the uneven distribution of resources, earn more income and seek their own sustainable development. However, existing studies have focused more on rural–urban migration and less on geographical migration. Our study further enriches the [...] Read more.
Migration is an important way for rural labourers to break the uneven distribution of resources, earn more income and seek their own sustainable development. However, existing studies have focused more on rural–urban migration and less on geographical migration. Our study further enriches the existing research on poverty reduction and provides a theoretical reference for policy decisions to promote a balanced regional development. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2012–2020, we conduct benchmark estimates through linear probability models and estimate the impact of migration on the relative poverty of the rural labourer through binary probit models. The results show that migration could significantly reduce the likelihood of a relatively poor state of rural labourers by around 4%; the greater the distance of migration, the greater the effects; and migration of rural labourers in the central region has the largest and most significant relative poverty reduction effect. Furthermore, migration could also compensate for the disadvantages of rural labourers who are unemployed, less educated and in poor health, making them less likely to be relatively poor. We also use multiple linear models to examine whether migration has a significant income-boosting effect on the rural people and found a positive result in which the effect reaches its highest in the central region at 22.95%. Therefore, it is necessary to further break down the barriers to geographical migration of rural labourers, strengthen the public transportation system and pay greater attention to Central China in order to better promote balanced development among regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immigrants, Social Integration and Sustainable Rural Development)
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