UNIT 2: POPULATION & MIGRATION

Factors of Migration

• Explain economic push and pull factors

• Explain environmental push and pull factors

• Explain political push and pull factors

• Define Forced Migration

• Identify international refugee crises

• Identify intervening obstacles to migration.

LEARNIN

G TARG

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SESSION 6Factors of Migration

• Most people migrate for economic reasons and can occur on both a internal and international level.

• Push Factors: Lack of employment opportunities (unemployment), struggling economy, low net income, high cost of land…usually voluntary but some cases can appear forced

• Pull Factors: Economic prosperity, employment opportunities and the possibility of remittance (sending money back home)

Push & Pull Factors: Econom

ic

Push & Pull Factors: Econom

icEurope: In the 1960’s and 70’s European countries such as France and Germany operated a guest-worker program which allowed temporary workers from developing countries…i.e. Turks to Germany. Today many migrants come from former colonies as well as Eastern Europe

China: Approximately 40 million Chinese live in other countries (mostly in Southeast Asia) however, today China is attracting immigrants due to their booming economy…i.e. Vietnam

Middle East: Wealthy oil producing countries in the Middle East (Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia) have been destinations from poorer countries in Asia and Africa… India, Bangladesh, Egypt, etc.

Push & Pull Factors: Econom

ic

Push & Pull Factors: Econom

ic

• People sometimes migrate for environmental reasons and has become one of the more common reasons for migration due to the growing ease of mobility (MDC’s) and because of pollution and human damage to the environment (Semi-Periphery and LDCs)

• Push Factors: Pollution, environmental threats (flooding, hurricanes, drought, desertification) and climate change…can be forced or voluntary• Extended droughts the Sahel region of Africa forcing the

population to surrounding countries and to Europe and the United States.

• Pull Factors: Physical attractiveness of an area, climate, lack of pollution• Retirees moving to Florida from the Northeast• Workforce of the U.S. leaving the Rust Belt and going to

the Sun Belt

Push & Pull Factors: Environm

ental

Push & Pull Factors: Environm

ental

• Political factors can lead to migration due to the risks an individual or group faces if they stay in the country or region. Forced political migration can be categorized into three groups:• Refugee: Forced to migrate to another country (usually

adjacent) due to direct or indirect armed conflict, human rights violations or other persecution and are unable to return home….over 10.6 million

• Internally Displaced Person: Forced to migrate to another region of a country due to political instability…over 14.7 million

• Asylum Seeker: Someone who has migrated to another country in the hope of being recognized as a refugee…nearly 1 million

• Push Factors: Political, religious, ethic persecution• Conflict in Syria, Puritans leaving England, ethnic cleansing in

Bosnia• Pull Factors: Political, religious, ethnic recognition and

freedom

Push & Pull Factors: Political

Forced Migration

Check for Understanding: Student Discussion

What are economic push and pull factors? Besides the U.S. where do many migrate for economic reasons?

What are the major environmental push and pull factors? Where in the world would environmental push factors exist?

What are political push and pull factors? What is a refugee? What in an IDP? What is an asylum seeker?

Forced Migration

CLASS ACTIVITY

• Directions:• Students will research and

create a map showing the largest refugee situations in the world, where they leave from where they go and why they are leaving• Countries:

AfghanistanSudanDR CongoIraqSyriaSomaliaPalestineMyanmarChina

• Points: 20

Forced Migration

• An environmental or political feature that hinders migration is an intervening obstacle• Traditionally, the biggest obstacle was environmental due to the journey over expansive oceans or across unfriendly terrain (mountains, deserts, etc.) with primitive modes of transportation• Today, obstacles have changed due to

improvements in transportation and have become political and cultural• Getting permission to enter…quota laws• Money to travel• Hostile attitudes once you are there…• Often met with suspicion and fear (and the more different

you are perceived to be, more hostility you face)• Big anti-immigration protests in US, W Europe, Kuwait• Longer assimilation periods

Obstacles to M

igration

• DUE:

NEXT CLASS

SESSION 7Immigration Issues