International Migration (AQA A Level Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Robin Martin-Jenkins
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Types of Migration
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another to live
Population change as a result of migration (as opposed to changes in birth and death rates) is sometimes called unnatural change
Temporary movement, such as tourism, is not usually counted as migration
Internal migration happens at a local scale,
Within a country
It doesn’t affect total population of that country
It does affect local population size
International migration occurs at larger scales
Between countries
It changes a country’s total population
More in-migration than out-migration leads to a positive net migration and population growth (assuming birth and death rates remain stable)
A negative net migration happens when out-migration exceeds in-migration (assuming birth and death rates remain stable)
International migration occurs for different reasons
Voluntary migrants are often economic migrants seeking better jobs and standard of living
Other migrants feel as though they have no choice but to leave their country of origin
Some flee across borders because they fear death or persecution from war, natural disasters, religious or political persecution
They apply for ‘asylum’ in a host country and whilst the application is being considered they are known as asylum seekers
If their application is successful they may be granted temporary or permanent residency. Legally they now become refugees
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Be clear on the difference between the types of migrants. In the media, migrants are often lumped together as one type but it’s important that you can make a distinction between voluntary migrants and those who feel they have to leave for fear of their life.
Causes & Processes of Migration
Causes and Processes of Migration
Factors can either push people out of a country or pull them to another country
The causes can be environmental or socio-economic
| Push Factors | Pull Factors |
|---|---|---|
Environmental Factors | Natural disasters - 23.7 million migrated due to extreme weather and natural disasters around the world in 2021 Climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, drought and poor water supply - in 2008 the government of the Maldives, worried about sea level rise, investigated the buying of a new homeland in Sri Lanka to re-house its population | More stable climate where farming is more productive and food supplies more reliable Extreme weather events and other natural disasters are are less common |
Socio-economic Factors | War - 8.1 million refugees were recorded leaving Ukraine in 2022 Political, Religious and Ethnic persecution - more than 1 million Rohingya people now live in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in neighbouring Myanmar Unemployment, low wages and poor working conditions Extreme poverty Poor healthcare, education and other public services | Religious freedom and political stability Good access to healthcare and education and other public services Higher wages and better job prospects |
The push-pull model of migration (from a sociologist called Lee) describes the reasons why international migration occurs and the processes migrants go through on their journey
The model shows that places of origin have both positive reasons to stay and negative reasons to leave (push factors)
If the negatives outnumber the positives people might decide to migrate
The destination country also has positives (pull factors) and negatives
The more positives there are, the more attraction it has for migrants
Migrants leave because of both push and pull factors
When deciding whether to leave, and then on their journey, migrants face various challenges (intervening obstacles) and processes
Costs of travel
Family pressure to stay
Physical barriers such as distance, seas and mountains
Human traffickers and smugglers
Difficulty with new languages and filling out paperwork
Government policy on immigration
Border controls
These obstacles and processes mean that migration happens in steps
Migrants may make several smaller journeys and stay in temporary accommodation before they reach their final destination
Globalisation has increased the movement of migrants around the world and is an important flow within the global economy
In 1970 approximately 90 million people were living in a country they weren’t born in
In 1990 that figure had increased to approximately 153 million
In 2020 it was estimated to be 281 million
Examiner Tips and Tricks
International migration is an ever-changing picture. You should try to keep up to date with the situation by searching contemporary news stories about government immigration policy and include up-to-date figures in any examples you use.
Implications of Migration
The impacts of migration can be both positive and negative for origin and destination countries
Category | Implications for countries of origin | Implication for destination countries |
|---|---|---|
Demographic | Migrants often of child-bearing age so birth rates fall Population decline Ageing population left behind which can increase death rates Loss of workforce | Increase in birth rates Population growth Can balance an ageing population structure Increases population of working age |
Environmental | Less pressure on natural resources and land Dereliction of abandoned communities | Migrants may bring new knowledge of sustainable land management techniques More pressure on natural resources and land More pollution and deforestation |
Social | Less pressure on services such as healthcare and education More jobs available in some industries that migrants have vacated Migrants may return with new cultural awareness Family dislocation Loss of traditions | New cultures can bring tolerance and new experiences Dilution of local cultures and traditions Grouping of migrants in urban areas can lead to segregation and intolerance More pressure on social services, jobs and housing |
Economic | Migrants send newly earned money home in the form of remittances. This can be an important contributor to the economy Returning migrants bring new skills to the workplace A ‘brain drain’ in some industries as skilled workers move abroad Productivity in the economy may fall with a reduced workforce Less investment in services with fewer people using them | Gaps in the workforce, both skilled and unskilled, filled by willing migrants Increased workforce leads to rise in economic productivity and subsequent development Requirement for more housing and other services leads to creation of more jobs Wages driven down and possible unemployment for local workers by competition from migrants Money leaks out of the economy through remittance payments Extra cost of having to provide more services and housing to migrants |
Health | Healthcare resources can be spread more widely as fewer people requiring treatment Older migrants vulnerable to degenerative (non-communicable) diseases retiring abroad Higher proportion of more medically vulnerable population (very young and very old) left behind | Migrants bringing new skills and ideas to the healthcare workforce Infectious (communicable) diseases can be spread more easily leading to more pressure on destination health services Older immigrants requiring treatment for degenerative (non-communicable) diseases Refugees and asylum seekers likely to need support and treatment for physical and mental illness due to traumatic journeys |
Political | Governments may need to implement policies to increase birth rates (so called pro-natal policies) Pressure on government resources to address all the negative impacts of out-migration | Pressure on governments to control immigration so that it has more positives than negatives Growth of anti-immigrant feeling and racial extremism needs to be dealt with |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question on implications of migration is likely to ask you to assess or evaluate them. This type of question is testing both your knowledge and understanding of the impacts (AO1) but also your application of that knowledge (AO2). Try to avoid just listing the impacts, which would only get you marks for AO1. In addition, to pick up AO2 marks, try and discuss which impacts are the most significant in different parts of the world. Also think about how the impacts might change in the future.
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