More Mexicans expected to move to the US due to climate change
July 27 2010 by Liam Clifford
The number of Mexicans moving to the US each year is set to increase as climate change affects conditions south of the border, claims a new study.
The
research from Princeton University, suggests that rising temperature could cause
a drop in yields for crops such as corn and maize that makes up the majority of
the Mexican diet in rural areas.
The study claims that between 1.4
million and 6.7 million Mexicans could move to the US by 2080. As a result of
these figures, the issue of US immigration reform seems all the more
important.
The study states, "Climate change is expected to cause mass
human migration, including immigration across international borders." It goes on
to explain that a 10 per cent fall in crop yields would lead to a 2 per cent
rise in migration over the border to the US.
Although the figures
illustrate the effects of climate change on population movement, it also
highlights the need for reform to ensure that people moving to the US do so
legally. President Obama is backing reform that will provide a route to
citizenship for millions of Mexicans currently living and working in the US
without the proper US visas.
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