PCBS: 7,000 Palestinians emigrate annually

[oberliner]

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The first report of its kind, prepared by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in Ramallah and released on Monday, showed large numbers of émigrés from the West Bank, and Gaza most of whom were young men aged 15-29.

Education, improved living conditions, and job opportunities were found to be the central motive for moving abroad in a survey which counted a total of 32,000 Palestinians leaving Palestinian areas between 2005-9, destined primarily for Jordan (24 percent), the United States (22 percent) and nations in the Arab Gulf (20 percent).

While the number of Palestinians moving abroad reached 7,000 annually since 2005, the survey also tracked the number of Palestinians who returned to the West Bank during that period, noting a large fluctuation in numbers, with the lowest year for returnees at 2007, when only 5,000 moved back. Over the 4-year period, a total of 30,411 returned, with the highest number in 2009, at 7,077.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345804

[Ken Burch]

1. So what? All that proves is that oppression can drive people out of their homelands

Catholics continually immigrated from Northern Ireland at massive levels until the last twenty years or so.

A lot of people from other countries moved to the U.S.

I'm not sure what you think this story tells us, or proves.

[oberliner]

2. Is that all it proves?

Nothing else?

[Ken Burch]

5. OK...I'll bite...what do YOU think it proves?

I hope you aren't arguing that it VINDICATES the Occupation or something.

[oberliner]

6. Some Palestinians are moving abroad for jobs or educational opportunities

And many of them return rather than staying.

It seems that this is much more common among the younger members of the population which is not altogether surprising.

[Ken Burch]

7. Ok.

That doesn't make any particular political point about the dispute, though, if that was your intent.

[oberliner]

8. Not every post here is intended to make a particular politcal point about the dispute

Many are posted simply to provide some insights into Israeli or Palestinian society. Or merely to report on what is happening regionally.

[Ken Burch]

9. Fair enough.

I was afraid it might be a "they're leaving anyway...why SHOULD they get a state?" thread. I'm glad it isn't.

You can appreciate why a person can be wary about such things in this forum.

Nothing personal.

[oberliner]

10. I am a fervent supporter of the two-state solution

I think that I have made that abundantly clear over the fairly lengthy time that I have been posting here.

I have consistently advocated for the establishment of a Palestinian state using the Geneva Initiative as a model for doing so as part of a peace agreement with the Israeli side.

[Ken Burch]

11. My comment about wariness was a general one, not aimed specifically at you. Sorry.

n/t.

[shaayecanaan]

3. It seems as though patterns of Israeli and Palestinian emigration are quite similar...

there seems to be a greater willingness to emigrate amongst the young, and particularly amongst boys, in both countries.

There seems however a high proportion of returning residents in both cases, indicating that for the most part, Israeli and Palestinian emigrants do not plan on living outside their respective countries permanently.

[oberliner]

4. Interesting observations

That makes a lot of sense.