1

IGCSE Migration
Specification:

1.1 Population dynamics (in the specification the migration section of the course falls under population)

Candidates should be able to:
Describe and suggest reasons for population migrations. Reference should be made to internal
movements such as rural-urban migration as well as to international migrations both voluntary and
involuntary.

Migration: The movement from one location to another location.

WHERE? WHY? FOR HOW LONG?



















Migration can be further classified into.
VOLUNTARY MIGRATION FORCED MIGRATION
This is when.




This is when.
For example:










For example:

People who leave a country/ area =
People who arrive in a country/ area =

REMEMBER!
Natural Increase =
Total Population Change =
2
KEY TERMS

There are many different types of migration. The most commonly referred to are:

Internal Migration: Migration within a country e.g. Edinburgh to London, rural Brazil to Sao Paulo
Rural-urban migration: This is a type of internal migration. It is the movement of people from rural
areas (the countryside) to urban areas (towns and cities). In the settlements topic we look at the
causes, problems and solutions of and to rural-urban migration in Rio de Janeiro
In addition to rural-urban migration we will also look at the processes of counterurbanisation and
reurbanisation in MEDCs (both forms of internal migration).
International Migration: Migration between countries e.g. El Salvador to US
Internal migration: migration within a country e.g. move from Edinburgh to London
Temporary Migration: Migration for a limited period, this might only be for a few weeks or even
several years.
Permanent Migration: Migration with the intention of staying forever.
Forced Migration: When people are forced to migrate, often because their life is in danger.
Voluntary Migration: When people freely choose to migrate e.g. for better weather or better
universities.
Economic Migration: Migration for work e.g. better salary or promotion
Seasonal Migration: Migration just for a particular season e.g. the ski season or the harvesting
season
Commuting: Movement from home to workplace and vice versa.

Examples of forced and voluntary migration:

FORCED MIGRATION:
When people have to move usually because their
life might be in danger.
VOLUNTARY MIGRATION:
When people chose to move, usually for economic
benefit.
Natural disaster (volcano, earthquake, flood, famine
etc.)
War
Political persecution
Religious or ethnic persecution
Redevelopment or resettlement e.g. Three Gorges
Dam
New job or better pay (employment)
Retirement
University/school
Healthcare
Better weather/ climate
To be with friends/ relatives

Emigrant: A person who leaves a country to migrate to another.

Immigrant: A migrant arriving in a new country.

Migration Balance: The difference between emigrants and immigrants. If a country has more emigrants
than immigrants that it is experiencing net migration loss. If a country has more immigrants than emigrants
then it is experiencing net migration gain.

People will normally migrate because of a combination of push and pull factors.

Push Factor: Things that are driving you from the location that you live e.g. crime and pollution

Pull Factor: Things that are attracting you to a new location e.g. better job and nice weather.










3
PUSH PULL FACTORS




The Lee's Model above show that as well as there being push factors from where you live there are also
pull factors that keep you there (represented by + in model). It also says that as well as pull factors that
attract you to a new location, there are also push factors not making you want to move there (represented
by - in the diagram).

Push Factors from Source (origin) Country Pull Factors from Source (origin) Country
No job
Low salary
Pollution and congestion
Bad weather
Crime
Poor education and healthcare
Poor housing
Friends and family
House
Know the culture
Understand the language
Understand how country works

Pull Factors of Destination Country

Push Factors from Destination Country
Better job
Better salary
Better schools and hospitals
Peaceful and safe
Friends and family already living their
Cost of housing
Racial tension
Language barriers
Different culture
No friends and family

Intervening obstacles: These are problems that a migrant may face on his journey. They are represented
on the Lee's Model by the wiggly line in between country of origin and destination country. Intervening
obstacles may include:
Shortage of money
Language barriers
Passport or visa issues
Bad weather
Transport delays
Problems with housing
















4
Impacts of Migration

The process of migration can have positive and negative impacts on both the source country and the
receiving country. Below is a summary of some of those impacts.

Advantages Disadvantages
Source
Country
(losing
country)
Reduced unemployment. El Salvador's is
currently about 10%, but in reality it is
probably much higher. There is also a lot
of underemployment.
Reduced pressure on schools and hospitals. It
is estimated that there are 2 million
migrants living in the US from El
Salvador.
Remittances sent by family and friends living
abroad. Remittances go straight into the
hands of the people, not the government.
In 2010 it was estimated that El Salvador
received $2.5 billion in remittances,
shared between 22.5% of families.
Improved relations with foreign countries e.g. El
Salvador and US, in 2011 Barack Obama
visited El Salvador
Migrants may return home with new skills and
knowledge of new technology
Reduced birth and fertility rate and people in
reproductive age range leave
Often skilled and educated migrants leave
'Brain Drain'
The dependency ratio increases as the
economically active leave
A dependency on remittances develops
There maybe shortage of workers,
especially during harvests
Family separation
Gangs have returned back to El Salvador
that were formed in the US e.g. MS
and M18.
Destination
Country
(receiving
country)
Source of manual workers who are prepared to
work dirty low paid jobs e.g. farming,
construction and cleaning.
Also source of skilled workers who are added to
skilled workforce 'Brain Gain' e.g.
teachers, nurses and lawyers (baseball
players!)
New cultures e.g. food and dance, Pupasas are
sold in the US
Improved links with source countries, possible
new markets e.g. El Salvador buys US
products and franchises e.g. Burger King
and Starbucks.
Possible racial tension. US citizens will often
blame Central Americans for taking
their jobs.
Inflation caused by increase demand
Pressure on schools and hospitals. In parts
of California over half of people speak
Spanish, this can cause problems for
schools, hospitals, etc.
Possible unemployment
Pressure on housing, electricity, water, etc.
Increased congestion and pollution
Gangs were created by Salvadorian
migrants e.g. MS, M18

Remittances: Money that is sent home to friends and family by migrants living in a different location, often
overseas.
Remittances top world aid (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7047304.stm)
Downturn hits Filipino Remittances (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7911698.stm)

The charity Amnesty International has made four short documentaries highlighting the problems faced by
Central Americans migrating to the US through Mexico. The documentaries are called the Invisibles. The
problems in Mexico may include: Kidnap, Rape, Robbery, Death/ Torture

o Mexico denies El Salvador's claim of migrant abductions - BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-
america-12056174
o UN calls for investigation to migrant abductions in Mexico - BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-
america-12248508
o More than 11,000 migrants abducted in Mexico - BBC articlehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-
12549484
o American Illegals in Mexico - BBC article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-17098719




5
CASE STUDY: Central America (including Mexico) to US Migration

The US and Mexico share a land border of roughly 2000km. Because of a series of push and pull factors,
migrants from Mexico and Central America (El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala) try and make the
journey across the border. It is estimated that over 1 million migrants each year attempt to cross. Many
make it, but others are also caught, in 1995 about 850,000 were caught and deported.

PUSH FACTORS FROM MEXICO PULL FACTORS TO US
Poor medical facilities - 1800 per doctor
Low paid jobs - (GNP = $3,750)
Adult literacy rates 55% - poor education prospects
Life expectancy 72 yrs
40% Unemployed
42,000 violent drugs deaths since 2006
Excellent medical facilities - 400 per doctor
Well paid jobs - GNP = $24,750)
Adult literacy rates 99% - good education prospects
Life expectancy 76 yrs
Low crime rates
Many jobs available for low paid workers such as
Mexicans

Imapacts on US (positive and negative)
Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons
Mexicans are seen as a drain on the USA economy
Migrant workers keep wages low which affects Americans
They cause problems in cities due cultural and racial issues
Mexican migrants benefit the US economy by working for low wages
Mexican culture has enriched the US border states with food, language and music
The incidents of TB has been increasing greatly due to the increased migration

Impacts on Mexico (positive and negative)
The Mexican countryside has a shortage of economically active people
Many men emigrate leaving a majority of women who have trouble finding marriage partners
Young people tend to migrate leaving the old and the very young
Legal and illegal immigrants together send some $6 billion a year back to Mexico
Certain villages such as Santa Ines have lost 2/3 of its inhabitants

Push and pull factors and impacts are from: SLN - US Mexico Migration
http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/schools/blythebridge/GCSECSMigrationMexicoUSA.htm























6
Refugees and IDPs

Refugees: A person who has been forced to leave their home and their country. This might be because of
a natural disaster, war, religious or political persecution.

Persecution: When someone is attacked for what they believe in e.g. their religion or political belief.

Internally displaced person (IDP): When someone has been forced to leave their home but not their
country.

Asylum Seekers: Someone who is trying to get refuge (residency) in a foreign country because their life is
in danger in their home country. This is usually because of their political or religious beliefs.

Asylum Seekers drown off Australia (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12006085)

Reasons for
becoming a
refugee
Problems faced by
refugees
Problems faced by receiving
country
Solutions to refugee
problem
War e.g. Iraq
Natural disaster
e.g. Indian Ocean
tsunami
Famine and/or
drought
Political
persecution e.g.
Syria
Religious or ethnic
persecution
No housing
Shortage of food and
water
No job or no money
No clothes or limited
clothes
Poor medical care
Disease
Poor sanitation
Safety concerns e.g.
war, robbery, rape.
Language barriers
No education for
children
Cost of providing food and water
Cost of providing education for
children and medical care for
everyone
Possible spread of disease to
native population
Increased pollution and
congestion
Possible racial tension
Language problems of dealing
with refugees
Increased unemployment
Possible inflation because of
rising demand
Food shortages
Shortages of water, electricity,
End of problem in source
country
The return of migrants to
their home (1st choice)
The return of migrants to
ares or countries near their
home (2nd choice)
Migrants settled in a foreign
country a long way from
their home (3rd choice)

The above three choices are
the three preferred solutions of
the UNHCR.


Iraqi Refugees and IDPs CASE STUDY Forced migration, Iraq

Iraq has seen a flow of refugees from its borders
over the last 100 years. However, since the
American led invasion of 2003, the number of
refugees leaving Iraq and also the number of
IDPs within Iraq has increased rapidly. It is
estimated that since 2003, about 2.2 million
Iraqi's have left the country and a further
2.5million have fled internally.

Most refugees have escaped the ongoing fighting
between coalition troops and remnants of
Saddam Hussein's government, but others are
escaping terrorist attacks (Al Qaeda has
infiltrated Iraq) and political, ethnic and religious persecution.

The majority of refugees have moved to neighbouring countries (Syria and Jordan), where there are
similarities in language and religion and they are easily accessible by land.

Warning of Iraq Refugee Crisis - BBC article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6286129.stm

UN warns of Iraq refugee disaster - BBC article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6339835.stm

7
IGCSE Skills
Flowline maps: Migration flows

Flowline diagrams can be used to represent assorted patterns in geography, such as:
traffic or pedestrian flow in urban areas
trade (export / import) patterns between countries
migration flows.
They are useful as the arrows allow the diagram to show:
spatial patterns
direction of movement
volume of movement (via their width)



Figure 1 shows the migration of workers into West Germany between 1970 and 1989.

1. Describe the migration pattern shown in Figure 1. 5 marks
Note: You may wish to re-read the advice about describing map patterns (see next page).

2. Suggest reasons for the migration pattern. 5 marks

How do you describe patterns on maps?
Keywords in the question could be
Describe say what you see
Explain / account for / give reasons for / suggest why
(use because, due to, therefore in your answer)
Distribution (where things are)

Technique for description
Study the map provided
Just use the information provided in the map
Look for patterns / trends
Make sure you look at the categories in the key quote figures
Be systematic in working your way around the map e.g. by continent, by region (N, E, S, W) etc.
Use place names if you know them (or they are provided)
If it is a topographic map, you could give grid references?

If you are asked to describe and explain the most effective way to answer is:
Make a descriptive point e.g. There are very few people in land above 1000m such as the Rocky
Mountains
and then try and explain that point... e.g because the soils here may be thinner and less fertile so
people would find it harder to grow their own crops (1)
8
PAST PAPER QUESTION Autumn 2007


Autumn 2010


9
Autumn 2012




10
11
CASE STUDY MIGRATION MEXICO TO THE USA






















FACTS:

PUSH FACTORS PULL FACTORS
IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON SOURCE COUNTRY (Mexico)
IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON DESTINATION COUNTRY (USA)


A related problem: Maquiladora developments in Mexico

SOLUTIONS