migration: permanent (longer than 1 year) change of residence of an
individual/group of individuals
international migration: movement of people from one country to another for the
minimum of one year
emigrant: leaving a country
immigrant: moving into country
internal migration: move from one place to another within a country for minimum
of 1 year
out migration: movement of internal migrants out of a region of a country
in migration: movement of internal migrants into a region of a country
net migration: balance between people moving into a region/country and people
moving out
source area: place where migrants have come from
destination area: place where migrants are going to
host country: receiving areas for international migrants
push factors: negative things that migrants want to escape from that force them to
leave an area
pull factors: advantages that an area offers drawing migrants to an area
barriers to movement: difficulties that a migrant will face when making a journey
distance decay: when number of migrants declines as distance between source
and destination increases
remittances: money sent home by the migrants
migration stream: migrants that share a common source and destination area,
form a chain of people moving in the same direction
voluntary migration: when migrants choose to move from one area to another
refugee: people who are forced to migrate
economic migrants: people who move to gain better standard of living usually for
work
forced migration: when people have no alternative than to move
asylum seeker: person who moves to escape life threatening situations may apply
to stay permanently in their destination country
illegal immigrant: person that moves without permission and has no legal status in
that country
rural-urban migration: someone moving from the countryside to a town or city
step migration: when a move from a rural village to a large city is done in stages
counter-urbanisation: also called urban to rural migration. moves from town/city to
the countryside
intra-urban migration: when people move within an urban area
LIC: low income countries
NEC: newly emerging countries
HIC: higher income countries
Causes of migration
Push examples: low wages, low standard of living, poverty, lack of job
opportunities, only unskilled jobs available, lack of access to services, poor quality
of life, conflict, war, political oppression, persecution of minority groups, natural
hazards
Pull factors: high wages, improved standard of living, more job opportunities,
better jobs available, better services, improved quality of life, freedom from
oppression, tolerance of other people’s views, better environment
Push factor knowledge is always more than a pull. Migration counter streams occur
due to migrants not finding area good enough.
Cost
closing-up costs: cheaper for LIC’s or people leaving family home. HIC’s more
expensive as disposable belongings/sell house
emotional cost: leaving family/friends/familiar location is difficult and significant
journey cost: depends on method and distance travelled
opening-up cost: greatest barrier to migration. purchase/build home, buy everyday
items. to reduce costs; move into cheap run-down areas
Journey
greatest barrier is distance. longer = more time and money. difficult to return to
origin. dangerous for poor migrants.
Immigration laws
population growth in LIC’s/MIC’s has led to increased migration to HICs.
most HIC’s only allow skilled migrants to enter and people then migrate illegally.
China hukou system: population register (rural or urban dweller). permission
required if people wanted status changed. denied for rural-urban (exception for if
you owned house/job). avoided shanty towns with this system.
Theories
Everett Lees Theory to Migration 1996: push factors, pull factors and barriers to
migration. origin has more – than + and destination has more + than -. larger the
barriers to migration the less migration that occurs.
Systems approach (Akin Mabogunie): rural-urban migration in Africa is a system of
interrelated elements. systems have: inputs, processes and outputs. dynamic
systems change in response to change of inputs. inputs = push/pull factors. output
= decision to stay/move. nature of output = destination/distance moved. consider
input and explains the output, change over time though. changing controls affects
migrant’s perception and may lead to further migration.
Todaro Model (Michael Todaro): considering economic costs and benefits. thinks
migration is individual, rational decision. potential migrants will go through shortterm difficulties in hope of better future.
Factors
Age based factors: young people more likely to migrate than older people as
looking for improved economic and social conditions. few ties to place of origin.
students moving to uni (rich HIC’s) and can return to origin after uni. poor migrants
settle in poor parts of destination cities. old people migrate to retire, move from
urban-rural
Gender based factors: different genders don’t affect migration. change rapidly and
reflect social and economic conditions in both places. men migrate for work and send money back, barriers of not allowing whole family to move. remittances
improve living standard and women head of house. brazil: low barriers to
international migration and whole family moves. changing employment structures
in destination is important. as economy develops, fewer manufacturing jobs and
more service jobs.
Distance based factors: significant barrier to migration. longer = time and money.
not all migrants can afford to move. difficult to return to origin. improved
infrastructure can reduce effect of distance. better info sources reduce impact of
distance