Aspects of Urban/Rural Population Migration in the Carpathian Basin Using Satellite Imagery

According to different estimations (IOM, 2000) 150 million people are moving and settling down to other places each year. Although Central and Eastern Europe is not the most affected area, several social and ethnic groups are involved in migration (in or out of the region). Before the political changes in 1989 only forced or illegal migration was possible in this region. Forced migration occurred because of political reasons after World War II, and during the Stalin era: (i) members of the formal aristocracy or so-called “political enemies” were forced to leave their homes and all properties and move out from the capital and other large cities to rural farms and distant villages; (ii) Slovakian, German, etc. ethnic groups had to move out from the country. Since the collapse of former political regime migration is legally allowed, and usually driven by economical reasons. The most significant external and internal migration factors are presented on Figures 1 and 4, respectively.

After World War I the historical border of Hungary changed significantly (comparison of the present and the former borders can be seen on Figure 1). Mainly from Romania and Slovakia transborder Hungarians immigrated back to Hungary during the 20th century (1), after 1989 immigration increased (2) from other neighbour countries (former-Yugoslavia, Ukraine), as well. Large number of refugees immigrated to Hungary (3) during the 1990s because of ethnical conflicts and war in the Balkan region. Pensions in the US, Canada, and Western European countries allow higher living standards in Hungary, therefore people with Hungarian roots often move back, buy houses, lands and settle down in Hungary (4/a). Foreign agricultural investors and producers immigrate to Hungary mainly from Austria, they buy and cultivate the cheap lands, and employs agricultural workers for low salary (4/b). Among the external components a general westward direction of moving process is also recognizable, which means that from Central and Eastern Europe people migrate to Western Europe. In case of highly educated people (5/a) this process can be called “drain brain”, but also, people with low education level emigrate for physical work better paid in Western Europe than in Hungary (5/b). Furthermore, Eastern Europeans tend to move westwards to Central Europe (including the Carpathian Basin). In case of Hungary some of the in-migrates are transborder Hungarians living as a minority in other countries, and the rest are non-Hungarians choosing Hungary for economic reasons – very often they are working illegally in the country (without proper legal immigration and work permissions). Refugees from less developed countries (mostly illegal traffickers from Asia and Africa) immigrate or only stay temporarily and emigrate further to the West (6).