Factors of Migration
UNIT 2: POPULATION & MIGRATION
LEARNING TARGETS
• Explain economic push and pull
factors
• Explain environmental push and
pull factors
• Explain political push and pull
factors
• Define Forced Migration
• Identify international refugee
crises
• Identify intervening obstacles to
migration.
SESSION 6
Factors of Migration
• Push Factors: Lack of employment opportunities (unemployment), struggling
economy, low net income, high cost of land…usually voluntary but some cases
can appear forced
• Pull Factors: Economic prosperity, employment opportunities and the
possibility of remittance (sending money back home)
Push & Pull Factors: Economic
• Most people migrate for economic reasons and can occur on both a internal
and international level.
Middle East: Wealthy oil producing countries in
the Middle East (Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi
Arabia) have been destinations from poorer
countries in Asia and Africa… India, Bangladesh,
Egypt, etc.
China: Approximately 40
million Chinese live in other
countries (mostly in Southeast
Asia) however, today China is
attracting immigrants due to
their booming economy…i.e.
Vietnam
Push & Pull Factors: Economic
Europe: In the 1960’s and 70’s European countries such
as France and Germany operated a guest-worker
program which allowed temporary workers from
developing countries…i.e. Turks to Germany. Today
many migrants come from former colonies as well as
Eastern Europe
Push & Pull Factors: Economic
Push & Pull Factors: Economic
• Push Factors: Pollution, environmental threats (flooding,
hurricanes, drought, desertification) and climate change…can be
forced or voluntary
• Extended droughts the Sahel region of Africa forcing the population
to surrounding countries and to Europe and the United States.
• Pull Factors: Physical attractiveness of an area, climate, lack of
pollution
• Retirees moving to Florida from the Northeast
• Workforce of the U.S. leaving the Rust Belt and going to the Sun Belt
Push & Pull Factors: Environmental
• People sometimes migrate for environmental reasons and has
become one of the more common reasons for migration due to
the growing ease of mobility (MDC’s) and because of pollution
and human damage to the environment (Semi-Periphery and
LDCs)
Push & Pull Factors: Environmental
• Refugee: Forced to migrate to another country (usually adjacent)
due to direct or indirect armed conflict, human rights violations or
other persecution and are unable to return home….over 10.6 million
• Internally Displaced Person: Forced to migrate to another region of
a country due to political instability…over 14.7 million
• Asylum Seeker: Someone who has migrated to another country in
the hope of being recognized as a refugee…nearly 1 million
• Push Factors: Political, religious, ethic persecution
• Conflict in Syria, Puritans leaving England, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia
• Pull Factors: Political, religious, ethnic recognition and freedom
Push & Pull Factors: Political
• Political factors can lead to migration due to the risks an
individual or group faces if they stay in the country or region.
Forced political migration can be categorized into three groups:
Forced Migration
What are economic push and pull factors? Besides the
U.S. where do many migrate for economic reasons?
What are the major environmental push and pull factors?
Where in the world would environmental push factors
exist?
What are political push and pull factors? What is a
refugee? What in an IDP? What is an asylum seeker?
Check for Understanding: Student Discussion
• Directions:
• Countries:
Afghanistan
Sudan
DR Congo
Iraq
Syria
Somalia
Palestine
Myanmar
China
• Points: 20
CLASS ACTIVITY
Forced Migration
• Students will research and create
a map showing the largest
refugee situations in the world,
where they leave from where
they go and why they are
leaving
Forced Migration
• Traditionally, the biggest obstacle was environmental
due to the journey over expansive oceans or across
unfriendly terrain (mountains, deserts, etc.) with primitive
modes of transportation
• Today, obstacles have changed due to improvements in
transportation and have become political and cultural
• Getting permission to enter…quota laws
• Money to travel
• Hostile attitudes once you are there…
• Often met with suspicion and fear (and the more different you are
perceived to be, more hostility you face)
• Big anti-immigration protests in US, W Europe, Kuwait
• Longer assimilation periods
Obstacles to Migration
• An environmental or political feature that hinders
migration is an intervening obstacle
NEXT CLASS
• DUE:
SESSION 7
Immigration Issues