2.10 Push and Pull Factors in Migration
4 min read•january 7, 2023
Edmund Scanlan
Edmund Scanlan
Push Factors
The first reason people migrate are , which are reasons why people leave somewhere. This is closely related to . People leave places for a number of reasons:
can cause people to leave as they fear for their lives and sometimes the lives of their families. The in Syria has caused over 5 million people to flee the country according to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
causes people to leave their country. Unfortunately, people are persecuted throughout the world. Some are persecuted for their religion (Christians in Sudan). Some are persecuted for speaking out against their government (journalists jailed in Myanmar). Others are persecuted for their ethnicity or race (black people in South Africa under apartheid).
and/or can also cause people to move from their homes. The population of New Orleans dropped by over a quarter of a million people since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Pull Factors
The second reason people migrate are , which are reasons why people go to a particular place. This is closely related to . People move to places for a number of reasons.
are by far the number one reason people move to a place. They are seeking better opportunities for themselves and their family. This is why people from the developing world move to countries in the developed world.
People may move because a country has a better , or is in a better environmental situation. However, that is rare compared to better job opportunities. In the United States, there are some , which provide special protection for immigrants who are undocumented coming into the country.
Intervening Obstacles
People migrating can face obstacles and along the way.
are physical features like deserts, oceans, and mountains, or logistical problems like traveling long distances.
could be proper documentation (Visas or Passports), or getting past man-made obstacles like an exclusion wall.
can be a problem as well. At times, citizens of the country people are migrating to are afraid their unique culture will be lost. Immigrants sometimes get blamed for unemployment, high welfare rates, or crime.
could be a reason people are leaving an overpopulated country. It could also be a reason they cannot enter a country. Some places have quotas on how many people from certain countries are allowed to move in. Once that number is met more people cannot migrate there.
could also be a reason why people cannot migrate from a country or get into a country. Many developing countries have that make applying for visas or passports very expensive and still difficult to receive. At times, coming into a country can be expensive and deter people from being able to enter. Sometimes migrants that are traveling to a specific country find and end up moving to a destination they did not intend to originally. Many Syrians set out to migrate to Germany but ended up in Serbia.
This is because they found a supportive government there and a warm welcome from the Serbians.
Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration
Ernst Georg Ravenstein was a German-British geographer and statistician in the 19th century. He studied migration patterns in England and Europe and published a series of articles in the 1880s and 1890s regarding the characteristics of human migration and the factors that influence it.
The laws are not universally excepted, and some of his ideas have been modified over time as the world continues to change. However, his work had a significant influence on the study of migration and helped our understanding of the dynamics (why and what) of population movement.
The majority of migrants do not move far away from their homes.
Every migration generates counter-migration or a return.
Migrants who choose to move far go to cities with more opportunities for jobs.
People from rural areas are more likely to migrate than people from urban areas.
Young adults are more likely than families to migrate internationally.
The majority of migrants are adults.
Cities tend to grow by migration and not by natural increase rate.
Men are more likely to travel long distances.
Those men are more likely to travel by themselves and not with their families.
Most people migrate for better economic activities.
There may be environmental and cultural factors that are important, but usually not more than economic activities
🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Causes of Migration
Key Terms to Review (19)
Corrupt Systems
: Corrupt systems refer to structures or processes within organizations or societies that are marked by dishonesty or fraud for personal gain.Cultural Obstacles
: These refer to barriers arising from differences in language, religion, customs and social norms between different cultures that may hinder interaction and understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.Demographics
: Demographics refer to the statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it, such as age, gender, income level, race, education, etc.Economic Reasons
: Economic reasons refer specifically to financial motivations behind decisions and actions. In terms of migration, economic reasons might include seeking higher wages, better job opportunities or improved living standards.Environmental Obstacles
: These are physical barriers or challenges presented by the natural environment that hinder human activities, such as migration, settlement, or economic development.Environmental Reasons
: Environmental reasons refer to factors related to the physical environment that influence human decisions or actions.Forced Migration
: Forced migration occurs when individuals must leave their homes due to factors outside their control such as war, natural disasters or persecution.Intervening Obstacles
: An environmental or cultural feature that hinders migration.Intervening Opportunities
: Intervening opportunities refer to the concept that migrants will often choose a location closer to their home if it offers similar benefits as a farther destination.Natural Disasters
: Natural disasters refer to catastrophic events with atmospheric, geological, and hydrological origins (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, storms & floods) that can cause significant physical damage or loss of life.Oppression
: Oppression refers to the systematic, socially supported mistreatment and exploitation of a group or category of people by another group or institution.Political Climate
: The general attitude or mood of the public, politicians, and media towards a particular issue or set of issues within a specific region.Political Obstacles
: These are barriers or challenges created by political systems or policies that impede certain human activities such as trade, travel, communication etc.Pull Factors
: Pull factors are conditions that attract people to a new area, encouraging them to move from their current location. These can include better job opportunities, higher wages, political stability, or even a more pleasant climate.Push Factors
: Push factors are conditions that drive people to leave their homes and migrate to another region. These can include things like poverty, war, or severe environmental conditions.Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration
: These are a set of laws or rules proposed by Ernst Georg Ravenstein in the 19th century, which attempt to explain and predict migration patterns. They include concepts such as most migrants only move a short distance, urban residents are less migratory than rural residents, and every migration flow creates a counter-flow.Sanctuary Cities
: These are cities in which municipal laws tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution, despite federal immigration law.Voluntary Migration
: Voluntary migration is when individuals choose to move from one place to another out of their own free will and desire. This could be for reasons such as seeking better job opportunities or pursuing education.War
: War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is characterized by extreme violence, social disruption, and economic destruction.2.10 Push and Pull Factors in Migration
4 min read•january 7, 2023
Edmund Scanlan
Edmund Scanlan
Push Factors
The first reason people migrate are , which are reasons why people leave somewhere. This is closely related to . People leave places for a number of reasons:
can cause people to leave as they fear for their lives and sometimes the lives of their families. The in Syria has caused over 5 million people to flee the country according to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
causes people to leave their country. Unfortunately, people are persecuted throughout the world. Some are persecuted for their religion (Christians in Sudan). Some are persecuted for speaking out against their government (journalists jailed in Myanmar). Others are persecuted for their ethnicity or race (black people in South Africa under apartheid).
and/or can also cause people to move from their homes. The population of New Orleans dropped by over a quarter of a million people since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Pull Factors
The second reason people migrate are , which are reasons why people go to a particular place. This is closely related to . People move to places for a number of reasons.
are by far the number one reason people move to a place. They are seeking better opportunities for themselves and their family. This is why people from the developing world move to countries in the developed world.
People may move because a country has a better , or is in a better environmental situation. However, that is rare compared to better job opportunities. In the United States, there are some , which provide special protection for immigrants who are undocumented coming into the country.
Intervening Obstacles
People migrating can face obstacles and along the way.
are physical features like deserts, oceans, and mountains, or logistical problems like traveling long distances.
could be proper documentation (Visas or Passports), or getting past man-made obstacles like an exclusion wall.
can be a problem as well. At times, citizens of the country people are migrating to are afraid their unique culture will be lost. Immigrants sometimes get blamed for unemployment, high welfare rates, or crime.
could be a reason people are leaving an overpopulated country. It could also be a reason they cannot enter a country. Some places have quotas on how many people from certain countries are allowed to move in. Once that number is met more people cannot migrate there.
could also be a reason why people cannot migrate from a country or get into a country. Many developing countries have that make applying for visas or passports very expensive and still difficult to receive. At times, coming into a country can be expensive and deter people from being able to enter. Sometimes migrants that are traveling to a specific country find and end up moving to a destination they did not intend to originally. Many Syrians set out to migrate to Germany but ended up in Serbia.
This is because they found a supportive government there and a warm welcome from the Serbians.
Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration
Ernst Georg Ravenstein was a German-British geographer and statistician in the 19th century. He studied migration patterns in England and Europe and published a series of articles in the 1880s and 1890s regarding the characteristics of human migration and the factors that influence it.
The laws are not universally excepted, and some of his ideas have been modified over time as the world continues to change. However, his work had a significant influence on the study of migration and helped our understanding of the dynamics (why and what) of population movement.
The majority of migrants do not move far away from their homes.
Every migration generates counter-migration or a return.
Migrants who choose to move far go to cities with more opportunities for jobs.
People from rural areas are more likely to migrate than people from urban areas.
Young adults are more likely than families to migrate internationally.
The majority of migrants are adults.
Cities tend to grow by migration and not by natural increase rate.
Men are more likely to travel long distances.
Those men are more likely to travel by themselves and not with their families.
Most people migrate for better economic activities.
There may be environmental and cultural factors that are important, but usually not more than economic activities
🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Causes of Migration
Key Terms to Review (19)
Corrupt Systems
: Corrupt systems refer to structures or processes within organizations or societies that are marked by dishonesty or fraud for personal gain.Cultural Obstacles
: These refer to barriers arising from differences in language, religion, customs and social norms between different cultures that may hinder interaction and understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.Demographics
: Demographics refer to the statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it, such as age, gender, income level, race, education, etc.Economic Reasons
: Economic reasons refer specifically to financial motivations behind decisions and actions. In terms of migration, economic reasons might include seeking higher wages, better job opportunities or improved living standards.Environmental Obstacles
: These are physical barriers or challenges presented by the natural environment that hinder human activities, such as migration, settlement, or economic development.Environmental Reasons
: Environmental reasons refer to factors related to the physical environment that influence human decisions or actions.Forced Migration
: Forced migration occurs when individuals must leave their homes due to factors outside their control such as war, natural disasters or persecution.Intervening Obstacles
: An environmental or cultural feature that hinders migration.Intervening Opportunities
: Intervening opportunities refer to the concept that migrants will often choose a location closer to their home if it offers similar benefits as a farther destination.Natural Disasters
: Natural disasters refer to catastrophic events with atmospheric, geological, and hydrological origins (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, storms & floods) that can cause significant physical damage or loss of life.Oppression
: Oppression refers to the systematic, socially supported mistreatment and exploitation of a group or category of people by another group or institution.Political Climate
: The general attitude or mood of the public, politicians, and media towards a particular issue or set of issues within a specific region.Political Obstacles
: These are barriers or challenges created by political systems or policies that impede certain human activities such as trade, travel, communication etc.Pull Factors
: Pull factors are conditions that attract people to a new area, encouraging them to move from their current location. These can include better job opportunities, higher wages, political stability, or even a more pleasant climate.Push Factors
: Push factors are conditions that drive people to leave their homes and migrate to another region. These can include things like poverty, war, or severe environmental conditions.Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration
: These are a set of laws or rules proposed by Ernst Georg Ravenstein in the 19th century, which attempt to explain and predict migration patterns. They include concepts such as most migrants only move a short distance, urban residents are less migratory than rural residents, and every migration flow creates a counter-flow.Sanctuary Cities
: These are cities in which municipal laws tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution, despite federal immigration law.Voluntary Migration
: Voluntary migration is when individuals choose to move from one place to another out of their own free will and desire. This could be for reasons such as seeking better job opportunities or pursuing education.War
: War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is characterized by extreme violence, social disruption, and economic destruction.
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