emigrate

Emigrate is a verb meaning to leave one's country of origin to live in another country. The person who leaves is an emigrant; the country that receives them typically regards them as an immigrant. The term emphasizes departure from the homeland; the corresponding verb for the destination country is immigrate, and the person is an immigrant there.

Etymology: Emigrate comes from French émigrer, from Latin emigrāre “to move out,” from ex- 'out' and migrāre 'to move'. The noun emigrant refers to the person who leaves; immigrant refers to the person who arrives.

Reasons for emigration are varied: economic opportunities, education, or professional advancement; family reunification; political instability, persecution, or conflict; disasters or climate-related displacement. People may move to nearby countries or across oceans, often following established diasporas or lines of immigration policy.

Legal pathways differ by country but commonly involve visas or residency permits, asylum or refugee recognition, and, in some cases, paths to citizenship. Social integration can present challenges such as language barriers, credential recognition, employment, housing, and discrimination. Remittances and diaspora networks are common features of large migration flows.

Historically, emigration has reshaped populations, from 19th-century European migration to the Americas to postwar labor movements and more recent waves driven by conflict and climate change. The act of emigrating thus connects origin and destination countries, influencing economies, cultures, and demographics on both sides.