When we visited Ireland at the beginning of July, many of the Irish people we talked to told us they had a child or a cousin or a friend who was moving/had moved to Australia because of the tough times in Ireland. Most of the younger generation of our family wants to move somewhere else inthe world. Now I read that Switzerland is seeing a second wave of Portuguese economic migration which no doubt is just the tip of the economic migration iceberg.
Just as Australia is wrestling with the immigration issue, Switzerland also has some interesting challenges ahead, particularly now it is party to the Schengen agreement. In any case, in the four short years we have lived here we have seen how rapidly the face of Switzerland is changing, living as we do in a town of migrants from all over the world including the UK, USA as well as all parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
Not to mention the older generation of Swiss men who have given up on their too-independent Swiss wives and have returned from Asia or Africa with a new bride. But let's not be gender biased. There are plenty of examples of older women with younger men, young couples of mixed cultures and colourful adoptive families.
In the animal kingdom, migration is a fact of life for some. There are so many questions: how long will it take for genetic modifications to our species that will make us all better suited to changing where we live on a regular basis. And what can we apply to our current situation that we've learned from the great migrations of animals like wildebeest on the plains in Africa? What are all the differences between birds that migrate and those that don't? I suppose Google will throw up some answers somewhere ... meanwhile perhaps the real answer lies in Sesame Street. Nice work, Google!
Just as Australia is wrestling with the immigration issue, Switzerland also has some interesting challenges ahead, particularly now it is party to the Schengen agreement. In any case, in the four short years we have lived here we have seen how rapidly the face of Switzerland is changing, living as we do in a town of migrants from all over the world including the UK, USA as well as all parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
Not to mention the older generation of Swiss men who have given up on their too-independent Swiss wives and have returned from Asia or Africa with a new bride. But let's not be gender biased. There are plenty of examples of older women with younger men, young couples of mixed cultures and colourful adoptive families.
In the animal kingdom, migration is a fact of life for some. There are so many questions: how long will it take for genetic modifications to our species that will make us all better suited to changing where we live on a regular basis. And what can we apply to our current situation that we've learned from the great migrations of animals like wildebeest on the plains in Africa? What are all the differences between birds that migrate and those that don't? I suppose Google will throw up some answers somewhere ... meanwhile perhaps the real answer lies in Sesame Street. Nice work, Google!
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