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What is migration?
The UN defines the term 'permanent' as a change of residence for more than 1 year
Migration has shaped the world of today and has impacted economically, culturally,
politically and environmentally
Most people will go through several changes of residence during their lifetime
Exam Tip
Do not confuse the terms immigration and emigration, they are not the same:
o Involuntary or forced
o Internal
Common to all, are the reasons for these movements - push-pull factors
The push factor is the reality of the current situation for the migrant; it is what makes the
person consider moving from the place of origin
The pull factor is the perceived outcome; it is what they imagine the move will bring to
the place of destination
Push-pull factors are unique to each migrant depending on their end goal - what is a pull
factor for one migrant may not be for another
o Social
o Economic
o Political
o Environmental
High levels of unemployment are a push factor, whereas higher wages and a better lifestyle
are a pull factor
Push-Pull Factors
Barriers to migration
o Emotional costs such as not seeing loved ones again; leaving behind their culture and
country etc.
o Physical danger
Voluntary migration involves the free choice of movement either internally or internationally
Involuntary or forced migration is where the migrant has no choice but to leave their place
of origin
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates 89.3 million people
worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2021, of which 53.2 million were internally
displaced people and 27.1 million were refugees, with the remaining 4.6 million
seeking asylum
o Natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, floods and droughts
o In most cases, survivors will move back home when it is safe to do so, or
Ethnic cleansing forces out entire groups or communities from the country - Sunni and Shia
Muslims in the Middle East or Rwanda in 1994 where the Hutus attempted to wipe out the
Tutsis in 3 months forcing 2 million people to flee
Not all forced migrants leave their country, and these migrants are termed an internally
displaced person
o The Syrian conflict has created a number of refugee and internally displaced people,
as have the conflicts in Afghanistan and Yemen
o Major natural disasters can displace people, such as the 2011 tsunami that forced
the evacuation of Fukushima in Japan or the recent floods in Pakistan
Exam Tip
Remember that involuntary or forced migration is not only due to war or persecution, but can also be
due to natural events such as flooding, earthquakes or desertification etc.
Migration Trends
According to the UN, approximately 3.6% of the world's population lives outside their
country of birth
That equates to around 281 million international migrants in the world as of 2020, an
increase of 37 million people since 2015
61% of global international migrants, reside in Europe and Asia with North America hosting
21%, Africa 9%, Latin America and the Caribbean at 5%, and Oceania 3%
The Covid-19 pandemic severely restricted migration, however, there are signs of a slow
return to previous levels of migration (UN, World Migration Report 2022)
Whilst most international migration is work-related, Covid 19 has shown that remote
working may reduce the necessity for labour-related migration, although highly skilled
workers will still be required for some jobs
The number of female migrants has increased, with women making up the majority of
contract work and so adding to migration becoming temporary and circular in nature
The majority of movement is between developing and developed countries, but there are
also signs of increased movement between developing (low to middle-income) countries
With developed countries reinforcing border controls in response to illegal immigration and
security measures, there has been a rise in human trafficking and exploitation
Number of international migrants by destination
Economic, demographic and geographical factors have created distinct migration patterns or
'corridors' over time
The biggest corridors are usually from developing economies to larger, more established
economies such as France, USA, Germany and Saudi Arabia
Most internal movement in developing countries is from rural to urban regions and has
resulted in the very rapid growth of urban areas
Movement is from poorer, rural regions to more affluent, developing urban regions, with
people seeking better standards of living
China is seeing rapidly expanding urban/industrial areas across its country and this has
fuelled the largest rural-to-urban migration in history, with more than 150 million people
moving to meet the demand for factory workers
Since the 1950s, places such as Dhaka, Cairo, Nairobi and Sao Paulo have seen rapid growth
and despite no guarantee of employment, the perceived opportunities are still greater at the
point of destination than at the point of origin
Worked example
A professional footballer moving from Spain to play in the English Premier League
A teenage girl moving from rural Kenya to study in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.
Answer:
o Forced international
o Voluntary international
o Voluntary internal
Depopulation
Developed countries such as the USA, France, Germany and the UK experienced rural-to-
urban migration since the late 18th century due to the Industrial Revolution and
urbanisation
These processes have been central to depopulation in many rural areas
Counter-urbanisation
However, since the 1970s, with over-crowding, high levels of pollution and rising costs, many
people have migrated from urban areas into rural regions in a process called counter-
urbanisation
o Green belt: people need to go further out to get the rural life they are looking for
o Second homes and early retirement: have increased the movement of people from
the city to the countryside