Population and Migration

•Push and pull factors

•Types of migration

Migration basics:

• Long-distance change of residence

• International or internal• Voluntary or forced• Affects both receiving and

sending regions

Pull and Push factors: what causes people to move?

• Pulls: People are “drawn” to new regions because of different opportunities elsewhere, such as economic or political/religious freedoms

• Pushes: People flee to new regions because of conflicts, natural disasters

Voluntary or Forced Migration?

•Voluntary: free choice•Forced: not your choice

–Slavery–Refugees

International migration

• 3% of world’s population migrates to new homelands each year

• Wide range of push and pull factors• Major impact on past and future

homelands

European Migrations to

USA

Examples of PUSH Factors:

• Some “push” factors include persecution (racial or ethnic), including frequent abuse or oppression (even genocide)

Other “push” factors:

• Political “push” factors include escape from dictatorships where civil liberties (like free speech, voting, and religious freedoms are restricted.)

Many people risk their lives to find a better or safer homeland…

Example of “push” migration: SUDAN

• In the African nation of Sudan, drought, famine and civil war have brought about increased migration over the past

two decades. • The number of Sudanese changing

residence has climbed from 1.3 million in 1983 to 3.4 million in 2000.

Examples of Pull Factors: Economic

• Poor individuals from developing countries can have higher standards of living in developed countries than in their originating countries.

• The availability of jobs is the pull factor.

For some migrants, education is another primary pull factor. Getting a better education assures a better job!

• Retirement migration from highly developed countries to lower-cost countries with better climate, is a new type of international “PULL” migration.

• An example is immigration of retired United States citizens to Mexico and Central America.

• Some migration is for personal reasons, based on a relationships

• People are drawn to move in order to join other family members in a new homeland.

Internal migration…People move within a nation’s boundaries:

•Rural to Urban migration•Region to Region

Example of Internal Migration

“Push” Factor- Natural Disaster

• In the 1930s, the drought in the Great Plains (Dust Bowl) drove many farmers from their homes to find work in western states’ farms, such as California.

2005-2006 (thousands of people)

Factors Where People decide to Resettle?

• People tend to migrate to new homelands after considering:– Distance– Accessibility to other regions (Will new regions accept migrants?)– Cultural or social similarities– Personal contacts

• Illegal immigration refers to migration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country.

Example of Illegal Immigration: PULL factor

• People seeking economic opportunities account for most of the illegal immigration to the United States.

• 57% of illegal aliens are of Mexican origin and about 75% are of Latin American origin.

Example of Illegal Immigration: PUSH factor

• After years of armed conflict, roughly one of every 20 Colombians have fled.

• Colombia is the fourth-leading source country of unauthorized immigration to the United States.

Information About International Migration:

• According to, the United Nations, most international migrants move to high-income developed countries

• This means that most migrants are seeking better economic opportunties

• Opposition to immigration is prominent in the United States, which has the largest absolute numbers of immigrants.

• However, many European countries are experiencing population decline. In such circumstances, immigration helps fill vacant jobs in the economy.

Population and Migration