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immigration
This term carries a heavy administrative and political weight, often evoking images of borders, passports, and legal documentation. It describes the systemic process of entry and settlement, focusing on the legal transition from a foreigner to a resident. While emigration focuses on the act of leaving a home country, immigration is the mirror image, focusing on the arrival and integration into a new society. It is frequently used in news and legislative contexts to discuss demographics, labor markets, and national identity.
Countable when referring to a specific instance or wave of people moving into a country (e.g., the immigration of the 1920s). Uncountable when referring to the general concept or the government department managing the process.