Case study: Retirement migration flows to Mediterranean locations

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  • Created by: Hannah
  • Created on: 31-03-14 23:44

Case study: Retirement migration flows to Mediterranean locations

Causes

  • More favourable climate
  • Improved quality of life
  • Provides opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation and health advantages
  • Lower house prices and cost of living
  • Pensioners can still collect their pension within the EU
  • Early retirement and longer life expectancy
  • Greater awareness of foreign places and cultures through holidays etc.
  • Cheap air travel via budget airlines
  • Escaping the rising crime, declining respect that is experienced by retirees in the UK
  • Escaping the rising costs, taxation and house prices
  • Escaping the lack of space, congestion and low environmental quality of UK
  • Internet allows easy communication to family and friends

Effects

  • Can cause housing shortages for local people
  • Retirees put a huge demand on local health care and transport services
  • Discrimination from host society
  • Can have economic benefits as they are using local services and paying taxes
  • In some areas the retired community has not integrated with the local population. They live in isolated enclaves with little social contact with local people
  • Strain on water sources due to high population density
  • Reduction in fertile land near coast as it is sold off for building
  • Influx of dependant population can lower workforce
  • A large amount of retirees will cause an ageing population
  • Causes family break-up. Loss of potential child care
  • The 'grey pound' is spent overseas
  • Biodiversity damaged by large-scale villa development
  • Relieves pressure in UK for demand on housing and healthcare services

Overall summary

Around 750,000 Britons live permenently in Spain and 200,000 in France. In 2008 migration of 'sunseekers' has slowed as they are sensitive to the value of the UK pound. As it has fallen, so have their incomes. Some have returned to the UK while others cannot as the values of their homes have fallen, making it hard to sell up and move back to the UK. 

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