NB: Please note this is not a word for word transcript of the audio programme Группа Learning Engllish. Транскрипт: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/scripts/insight/tae_insight_13_06bs_081016.pdf
Gary: Today’s “big story” is migration. We’ll focus on some of the issues and, of course, the language behind the topic, and we’ll look at how migration is reported in the news. The International Organisation for Migration is based in Geneva. It has members from more than a hundred countries, and works with migrants and governments to set up policies to ‘manage migration flows for the benefit of all’. I spoke on the telephone to the IOM’s spokesperson Jean-Philippe Chauzy, and I wondered first of all if he could provide us with a working definition of the term “migrant”. Clip Jean-Philippe Chauzy Well, yes. The general definition is for someone who will leave his or her own country to work abroad for a period of time – several months, years. Now, if looking for broader definition, also looking at people who decide to circulate, in other words migrate from one country to another, following opportunities on global labour market. Or, at other end of spectrum, people smuggled across borders in clandestine fashion and will end up in exploitative networks – enforced labour or sexual exploitation. Gary: Migration itself isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, during the 19th-century, roughly one in ten people could be classed as an international migrant. But how does this compare with the situation today? I asked Jean-Philippe Chauzy why people choose to leave their country of birth, and how many people are doing this. Clip Jean-Philippe Chauzy Well, first, I think fair to say no country in world unaffected by international migration flows. Today, most countries are countries of origin/transit/destination for migrants – or all three. The numbers we have: stock number for international migrants today worldwide, hovering around 175 migrants, roughly one person in 35. In more developed regions of world, percentage is higher: 1 in 10. Gary: Well, as you say, those are quite staggering figures. And I guess people are moving for different reasons? Jean-Philippe: Yes absolutely. If you’re looking at economic migration, mostly it’s the lack of socio-economic prospects at home that will push people to leave, to migrate in search of better opportunities. And that’s one of main “push” factors. But you could also look at issue of bad governance; and also fact you have people who flee conflict, civil strife, ecological degradation. All these are push factors. Gary: And if there are these push factors that lead people to migrate, I guess you might refer as well to “pull factors”, what are these pull factors? What might these pull factors be? Jean-Philippe: Amongst the pull factors, the fact that migrants know will find better paid employment in the country of destination – most of the time in informal sector. There’s also fact that in many countries, large Diasporas will facilitate the arrival of the migrants. Also fair to say now highly sophisticated criminal networks, that are operating, smuggling or trafficking networks operation worldwide, and that are making huge amounts of money, billions of dollars every year, helping migrants to cross borders illegally – these are smugglers; or helping migrants cross borders illegally, to keep those migrants in exploitative networks – we’re looking now at trafficking networks. Gary: Could we look at another couple of terms that often appear in news stories, one is remittances and the other is to do with the brain drain. Maybe let’s start with the brain drain? Jean-Philippe: Well, the brain drain, this expression has been around for decades, it qualifies, the fact that skilled human resources are leaving developing countries and are benefiting developed countries...