Forced Migration & Internal Displacement (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Types of Forced Migration
What is migration?
Migration is the movement of people across a specified boundary, national or international, to establish a new permanent or semi-permanent place of residence
The United Nations (UN) defines 'permanent' as a change of residence lasting more than 1 year
Migration can be split into many sub groups, but it can be classified simply into internal (within a country) or international (across international boundaries)
Movement is geographical and involves leaving home (place of origin) to a place of destination
There are three types of movement:
Cyclic - these are journeys that begin and end at a place of origin such as commuting
Periodic - longer time is spent away from the place of origin, but movement involves return at some point and includes university attendance, military service and migrant labour
Migration - permanent move away, usually across significant distance either internally (within the same country) or internationally (to another country)
Migration terms
Migration starts at an origin and is completed at an area of destination
A number of migrants sharing a common origin and destination form a migration stream
For every stream there is a reverse counter-stream
Migrants in between origin and destination are known as en-route
Migration mostly takes the form of step migration. Where several short moves are made and usually to slightly larger and more important settlements
Emigrant is a person who migrates out of country
Immigrant is a person who migrates into country
If an international migrant moves into a country it is called immigration
If an international migrant leaves a country this is called emigration
If an internal migrant moves into a new area within their country this is called in-migration
If an internal migrant moves out of their area within a country this is called out-migration
Migration is classified by:
Distance travelled
Reason for travel
Period of time of travel
Volume of migrants
Classification of Migration
| Internal | External |
|---|---|---|
Voluntary | Rural to urban - jobs | West Indians to the UK |
Urban to rural - retirement | UK doctors to the USA | |
Forced | British inner city slum clearance | African people to America - Atlantic slave trade |
Chinese villagers along 3 Gorges Dam | Asians from Uganda | |
Natural disasters - Mt Pinatubo, Philippines | Partition of India - Muslims forced from India into Pakistan |
Migrant terminology
A refugee
Is a person who has been forced to leave home and country because of ‘a well-founded fear of persecution’ on account of race, religion, social group or political opinion
An internally displaced person
Is someone who has been forced to leave his / her home for reasons similar to a refugee, but remain in their country
An asylum seeker
Is someone who has left their home country, has applied to another country for recognition as a refugee, and are awaiting a decision on their application
Forced migration
The Atlantic slave trade was the largest and most devastating externally forced migration in the history of humanity
Forced migration occurs when the individual, household or community have little to no choice but to leave their country or area
Forced migration can be due to environmental and/or human factors
Forms of forced migration include:
Disaster-induced displacement
Development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR)
Conflict-induced displacement
Political-induced displacement
Impelled - this form of migration is often called 'forced' migration, however, there is more of a choice
Impelled migration takes place under a perceived threat, either human or physical, rather than actual removal
Disaster induced displacement
This includes:
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis etc
Human induced disasters such as the release of gas, chemicals, radiation etc.
Examples of Disaster Induced Displacement
Natural Disaster | Human Induced Disaster |
|---|---|
In 1995 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat devastated parts of the island
The U.S. government told Montserratian refugees to leave in 2005 - not because the volcanic crisis was over or because the housing crisis caused by the volcano was solved. Rather, the U.S. government expected the volcanic crisis to last a further 10 years or more; so, the Montserratians no longer qualified as ‘temporary’ refugees | Human induced global warming has increased the number of wildfires around the world and the rates of incidents are increasing In 2022, California saw record-breaking heat and wildfires, leaving many people to become 'climate migrants' within their own country Wildfires in California have destroyed thousands of homes, burnt millions of acres of land and forced more than half a million people to flee their homes The majority of people have been unable to rebuild, as insurance premiums are high because of the risk of wildfires and many homes were uninsured, leaving many in poverty and long-term homelessness |
Development induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR)
People removed from their homes when large development projects are undertaken such as HS2 in the UK or hydroelectric dams such as the 3 Gorges in China or mining in the Amazon
Affects individuals as well as whole communities and can be an internal or external movement
There are two types of displacement:
Primary or direct - people are moved from their homes to another place to make way for a development project, such as dam building
Secondary or indirect - where movement is due to a consequence of a project, such as water pollution through a mining project etc.
Examples of DIDR
Primary or Direct | Secondary or Indirect |
|---|---|
Three Gorges Dam, China Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, India (1999-2003) | Mining is a global industry that can boost a country's economy, but can also cause harm both directly and indirectly Mining activities and poor management of waste tailings led to numerous issues such as groundwater contamination, air pollution and increased ill-health forcing many people to move from their homes, usually with no compensation or ability to sell their homes Developing countries are particularly at risk as health and safety policies are either not enforced, ignored or exist |
Conflict-induced displacement
This is when people leave their community or country to escape violence such as civil war or persecution
There can be internally displaced people and refugees from the same conflict
Sudanese displaced in Darfur and refugees in Chad
Political-induced displacement
People are forced to migrate because of their country's policies that discriminate against them
They have well-founded fears of being persecuted and are unlikely to remain safe in their country
In fear of repercussions, desperate Vietnamese refugees fled by the hundreds of thousands after the communist government took control of the country in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War
Up to 300,000 people, especially those who supported the South Vietnamese government and the USA, were sent to re-education camps, where many were forced into hard labour, tortured, starved, and died from disease
Consequences of Forced Migration
Migration has an impact on both donor and receiving nations
Consequences can be subdivided into 4 categories:
Demographic
Social
Economic
Environmental
Overview of Consequences
Demographic | The numbers and distribution of people within a region are changed Intermarriages are created, leading to a new group of people |
|---|---|
Social | Migration brings different people together leading to conflicts Migration however also creates understanding between different groups of people |
Economic | This depends on the "quality" of the migrants and the economic needs of the origin and destination Quality refers to skills, age, educational attainment, health etc. In underpopulated areas, emigration may slow down development |
Environmental | Increased pressure on food and services on the host country Environmental degradation in the host and origin country |
Disadvantages include:
Large numbers of forced migrants place enormous strain on infrastructure, public services and government money
This is particularly significant if they arrive in LICs, as there are already limited services available for the population
Finding accommodation suitable for large numbers of people is difficult and many are contained within camps, with deteriorating conditions, limited fresh water, food or clothing
Increased animosity between people of different cultures - social tensions can rise, particularly if migrants are seen as 'taking' local jobs or bringing in different social customs and habits
There can be a gender imbalance which can lead to over- or under-population
Lower wages as migrants are happy to fill unskilled jobs for less pay
Loss of key workers in the country of origin, leaving the country to struggle to maintain a standard of living
Rise in informal employment
Creation of ghettoes in urban areas - isolation and exclusion from the country's population and integration can be difficult
However, there are positives such as:
Increased understanding between people of different cultures
Employment and skills opportunities to meet social and cultural differences
Businesses have a source of cheap labour and higher profits
Migrants are prepared to do many of the jobs that others do not want such as fruit picking or factory work
Migrants will send remittances back to families at home
Migrants increase the amount of taxes paid to the government and thereby help contribute to the economy
It lowers the unemployment rate in the country of origin
Host countries are enriched by cultural diversity
Migrants bring innovation and energy
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