Reasons for Migration | Geography for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

What is migration?

• Migration involves people moving across official boundaries, whether internationally or within a single country, to establish a permanent place of residence.
• The United Nations (UN) defines "permanent" migration as a change of residence lasting more than one year.
• Migration has significantly influenced the world today, impacting economies, cultures, politics, and the environment.
• Throughout their lives, most individuals experience multiple changes of residence.

Push and Pull Factors in Migration

• Migrations can be voluntary, involuntary, or forced, each driven by different motivations.
• Push factors represent current circumstances prompting individuals to consider leaving their place of origin.
• For instance, high levels of unemployment serve as a push factor compelling people to seek opportunities elsewhere.
• Pull factors, on the other hand, signify anticipated benefits individuals expect to find in their destination.
• For example, the prospect of higher wages and an improved lifestyle can act as pull factors influencing migration decisions.
• Push-pull factors are unique to each migrant, varying based on personal goals and aspirations.
• These factors encompass social, economic, political, and environmental elements shaping migration patterns.
• Elevated unemployment rates serve as a push factor, while increased wages and improved quality of life act as pull factors.

Barriers to Migration

• There exist various obstacles that impede migration, falling into personal, national, and legal categories.
• Personal hindrances encompass emotional and financial elements:
  • The expenses associated with migration encompass closing down costs like selling property and legal fees, moving costs such as transportation and visas, as well as setting up expenses like housing and schooling fees.
  • Emotional costs may involve the pain of leaving loved ones, abandoning one's culture, and departing from one's homeland.
• Legal barriers, primarily governed by immigration laws, pose a significant challenge to migration.
• National barriers can be physical or political in nature, including factors like:
  • The geographical distance between the place of origin and the destination.
  • Potential physical dangers along the migration route.
  • Restrictions imposed by a country that prevent individuals from leaving.

Voluntary and Involuntary Migration

• Voluntary migration involves individuals making a choice to move either within a country or internationally.
• The primary motivation behind voluntary migration is often economic, such as seeking better job opportunities or career advancement.
• In developing nations, this migration trend typically manifests as movement from rural regions to urban centers.
• Conversely, in developed countries, a phenomenon known as counter urbanisation is more prevalent, where people move from urban areas to rural settings.

Reasons for Voluntary Migration

• The most common reason for voluntary migration is the pursuit of economic prospects, including employment and career growth.
• Individuals in developing countries often migrate from rural to urban areas in search of better livelihoods and opportunities.
• In contrast, individuals in developed countries may choose to move from urban settings to rural areas due to factors like lifestyle preferences or lower living costs.

Involuntary or Forced Migration

• Involuntary or forced migration occurs when individuals are compelled to leave their place of origin.
• This movement can be either international or internal in nature.
• According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), around 89.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2021. This included 53.2 million internally displaced people, 27.1 million refugees, and 4.6 million asylum seekers.

Causes of Internal Forced Migration

• Natural disasters like volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, floods, and droughts can force people to leave their homes temporarily.
• Job availability plays a significant role in the decision of whether to return home after a disaster.
• War and persecution are major drivers of forced migration. Examples include the mass exodus during the Second World War and the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Effects of Ethnic Cleansing and Natural Disasters

• Ethnic cleansing can result in the displacement of entire communities, as seen in conflicts involving Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East or the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
• Some forced migrants do not leave their countries but become internally displaced persons.

Impact of Major Natural Disasters

• Major natural disasters, such as the 2011 tsunami in Japan and recent floods in Pakistan, can lead to large-scale evacuations and displacements.

Migration Trends

• Approximately 3.6% of the global population resides outside their country of origin, totaling about 281 million international migrants in 2020, marking a surge of 37 million individuals since 2015.
• Europe and Asia host the majority of global international migrants, accounting for 61%, while North America accommodates 21%, Africa 9%, Latin America and the Caribbean 5%, and Oceania 3%.
• The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on migration patterns, although there are indications of a gradual return to pre-pandemic migration levels.
• While a significant portion of international migration is work-centric, the emergence of remote work due to Covid-19 might diminish the necessity for labor-driven migration. Nonetheless, certain professions will still demand highly skilled workers.
• The population of female migrants has notably risen, particularly in contract-based work, contributing to a shift towards temporary and circular migration practices.
• Although most movement occurs between developing and developed nations, there is a noticeable uptick in migration between developing countries, especially those transitioning from low to middle-income status.
• Heightened border controls in developed countries in response to illegal immigration and security concerns have led to an increase in human trafficking and exploitation.
  
• International migration varies globally.
• Different factors like economics, demographics, and geography shape migration patterns over time.
• Main migration corridors often lead from developing nations to more developed economies such as France, the USA, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
• Globalization has facilitated and accelerated these movements.

Internal Population Movements

• Internal migration is more common than international movement, both in developing and developed countries.
• Most internal movement in developing nations involves people relocating from rural to urban regions, leading to the rapid expansion of urban areas.
• This migration trend often involves individuals moving from impoverished rural areas to more prosperous urban regions in search of improved living standards.
• China is currently experiencing significant growth in its urban and industrial sectors, driving the largest rural-to-urban migration in history, with over 150 million individuals migrating to meet the demand for factory labor.
• Since the 1950s, cities like Dhaka, Cairo, Nairobi, and Sao Paulo have undergone rapid expansion. Despite the lack of employment guarantees, individuals perceive greater opportunities at their destinations than their places of origin.

Depopulation & Counter-Urbanisation

Depopulation

• Developed countries like the USA, France, Germany, and the UK have seen a shift of people from rural to urban areas starting from the late 18th century, driven by industrialization and urban growth.
• Rural-to-urban migration and urbanization have played a significant role in causing depopulation in rural regions.
• Typically, the most remote and isolated areas are the ones most heavily impacted by depopulation.
• Once this trend initiates, there is a gradual decrease in population in the affected region.

Counter-Urbanisation

• Since the 1970s, a significant shift termed counter-urbanisation has occurred, where people are moving from urban centers to rural areas.
• Reasons for Counter-Urbanisation:
• Mobility and Accessibility: With increased personal car ownership and improved public transport and road networks, rural areas have become more accessible.
• Increased Wealth: As wealth grows, housing and travel become more affordable, prompting a migration to rural regions.
• Agricultural Decline: The mechanisation and consolidation of farms free up land for housing as agricultural workers seek other opportunities.
• Green Belt: Due to restrictions on urban expansion, individuals must move further away to experience rural living.
• Second Homes and Early Retirement: The desire for second homes and early retirement has led to an increase in urban to rural migration.