2.10 Push and Pull Factors in Migration

4 min read•june 18, 2024

Edmund Scanlan

AP Human Geography 🚜

320 resources

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Push Factors

The first reason people migrate are push factors, which are reasons why people leave somewhere. This is closely related to forced migration. People leave places for a number of reasons:

War can cause people to leave as they fear for their lives and sometimes the lives of their families. The war in Syria has caused over 5 million people to flee the country according to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

Oppression causes people to leave their country. Unfortunately, people are persecuted throughout the world. Some are persecuted for their religion (Christians in Sudan). Some are persecuted for speaking out against their government (journalists jailed in Myanmar). Others are persecuted for their ethnicity or race (black people in South Africa under apartheid).

Natural disasters and/or environmental reasons can also cause people to move from their homes. The population of New Orleans dropped by over a quarter of a million people since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Pull Factors

The second reason people migrate are pull factors, which are reasons why people go to a particular place. This is closely related to voluntary migration. People move to places for a number of reasons.

Economic reasons are by far the number one reason people move to a place. They are seeking better opportunities for themselves and their family. This is why people from the developing world move to countries in the developed world.

People may move because a country has a better political climate, or is in a better environmental situation. However, that is rare compared to better job opportunities. In the United States, there are some sanctuary cities, which provide special protection for immigrants who are undocumented coming into the country.

Intervening Obstacles

People migrating can face obstacles and intervening opportunities along the way.

Environmental obstacles are physical features like deserts, oceans, and mountains, or logistical problems like traveling long distances.

Political obstacles could be proper documentation (Visas or Passports), or getting past man-made obstacles like an exclusion wall.

Cultural obstacles can be a problem as well. At times, citizens of the country people are migrating to are afraid their unique culture will be lost. Immigrants sometimes get blamed for unemployment, high welfare rates, or crime.

Demographics could be a reason people are leaving an overpopulated country. It could also be a reason they cannot enter a country. Some places have quotas on how many people from certain countries are allowed to move in. Once that number is met more people cannot migrate there.

Economic reasons could also be a reason why people cannot migrate from a country or get into a country. Many developing countries have corrupt systems that make applying for visas or passports very expensive and still difficult to receive. At times, coming into a country can be expensive and deter people from being able to enter. Sometimes migrants that are traveling to a specific country find intervening opportunities and end up moving to a destination they did not intend to originally. Many Syrians set out to migrate to Germany but ended up in Serbia.

This is because they found a supportive government there and a warm welcome from the Serbians.

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

Ernst Georg Ravenstein was a German-British geographer and statistician in the 19th century. He studied migration patterns in England and Europe and published a series of articles in the 1880s and 1890s regarding the characteristics of human migration and the factors that influence it.

The laws are not universally excepted, and some of his ideas have been modified over time as the world continues to change. However, his work had a significant influence on the study of migration and helped our understanding of the dynamics (why and what) of population movement.

The majority of migrants do not move far away from their homes.
Every migration generates counter-migration or a return.
Migrants who choose to move far go to cities with more opportunities for jobs.
People from rural areas are more likely to migrate than people from urban areas.
Young adults are more likely than families to migrate internationally.
The majority of migrants are adults.
Cities tend to grow by migration and not by natural increase rate.
Men are more likely to travel long distances.
Those men are more likely to travel by themselves and not with their families.
Most people migrate for better economic activities.

There may be environmental and cultural factors that are important, but usually not more than economic activities

🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Causes of Migration

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