Movement of People (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Push-Pull Mechanism

• People have migrated from one place to another either within their country (internal migration) or across borders (international migration)

• Globalisation has made this move easier and faster

• There are different types of migration

  • Forced

  • Voluntary

  • Circular

  • Political: refugees and asylum seekers

• The main reason for movement are push-pull factors

• The push factor is the reality of the current situation for the migrant

  • It is what makes the person consider moving from their place of origin

• The pull factor is the perceived outcome

  • It is what they imagine the move will bring to their place of destination

• Push-pull factors are unique to each migrant, depending on their end goal

• These factors can be divided into:

  • Social

  • Economic

  • Political

  • Environmental

• High levels of unemployment are a push factor, but higher wages and a better lifestyle are a pull factor

• Three other factors are:

  • Modern communications

    • Mass media allow people to 'see' and 'feel' distant places without the risk of moving to an unknown and potentially unwelcoming destination, making people more willing to migrate

  • Modern transport

    • This moves the migrant to their destination quickly and cheaply once the decision has been made to migrate

  • Relaxed national borders

    • Globalisation has made many countries more willing to relax their boundaries, particularly if it is to their advantage, e.g. skilled migrant workers, doctors, scientists, etc.

Voluntary Migration

• Voluntary migration is the free choice to migrate or not

  • This can be internal (within the same country) or international (into another country)

• Usually for economic reasons such as work, promotion, higher wages, etc

• In developing countries, this is usually internal, from rural to urban areas

• In developed countries, counter-urbanisation is more common, from urban to rural 

• Temporary economic migrants (short-stay workers) are those people who migrate purely for monetary purposes, stay for a few years or less and then move on

• Retirement migration is a new form of voluntary movement where pensioners retire and move elsewhere

  • It is no longer necessary to live close to a place of work

  • Warmer climates: Las Vegas is home to a large number of retirees due to its dry, warm climate

  • Downsize into a smaller and/or cheaper home to save costs with their pension (pensions are usually less than regular wages)

  • Move to a quieter, calmer or more attractive environment

• Professional migration involves sports people signing contracts to play for foreign clubs—footballers, cricketers, etc. players benefit from higher wages and bigger media profile

• Medical migration is where doctors, surgeons, etc migrate to other countries where their skills are in demand or patients migrate for health reasons  

Circular Migration

• Circular migration is where there is no intention of a permanent move

• This can be for work, medical, educational or pleasure reasons

• Seasonal workers are circular migrants who work in one place and return home after a short contract

• Students at university return at the end of the term to their normal place of residence

• Medical treatment encourages people to temporarily move to other countries

• Tourism encourages circular movement with longer stays

Forced Migration

• This is where the migrant has no choice but to leave their place of origin

• This is usually international but can also be internal

• There are a number of reasons for internally forced migration, including:

  • Natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, floods and droughts

  • In most cases, survivors will move back home when it is safe to do so

  • Jobs become available again

• The biggest reason for forced migration is war and persecution

• This includes events such as the Jews fleeing German and Russian troops during the Second World War and, more recently, the Syrian civil war, where more than half of the country's population (13 million) has been forcibly displaced

• Ethnic cleansing forces out entire groups or communities from the country—Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East or Rwanda in 1994, where the Hutus attempted to wipe out the Tutsis in 3 months, forcing 2 million people to flee

Refugees & Asylum Seekers

• The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for those people forced to migrate—a 'person of concern

• There are four different categories:

  • Refugee: a person who lives outside their country of nationality because of well-founded fears of being persecuted, either through race, religion, political opinions or social groups 

  • Asylum seeker: a refugee who has applied for citizenship in a country that has provided protection

  • Internally displaced person (IDP): forced to flee their home but do not cross international borders

  • Returnee: a refugee or asylum seeker  who has voluntarily returned to their own country or an IDP who has returned home again

• In 2021, UNHCR estimated that there were 89.3 million people worldwide that were forcibly displaced 

• Of these, 27.1 million were refugees, 53.2 million were IDPs, and 4.6 million asylum seekers

• Children account for 41% of forcibly displaced people

• 69% of all refugees originate from just five countries:

  • Syrian Arab Republic (27%)

  • Venezuela (18%)

  • Afghanistan (11%)

  • South Sudan (9%)

  • Myanmar (5%)