Key Issue 3 Why Do People Migrate?

Push factors induce people to move out of their present location. People decide to migrate because of a combination of two factors. Push factors induce people to move out of their present location. Pull factors induce people to move into a new location. PUSH PULL MIGRATION

Three major types of push and pull factors Political Environmental Economic

POLITICAL PUSH FACTORS Religious Persecution Political Persecution Intolerance of dissent Abuse of power by ruling parties Racial/Ethnic/Identity-Based Discrimination Open Violence /Conflict

ENVIRONMENTAL PUSH FACTORS WATER – Too much OR too little Global Warming Deteriorating Land Quality Natural Disasters Hurricanes Floods Landslides Volcanoes/Geological Events

Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia

A FLOODPLAIN is an area periodically inundated when a river floods A FLOODPLAIN is an area periodically inundated when a river floods. They are named for how often it is estimated they flood- i.e., ‘100 year floodplain’.

Former mining town in New Mexico

The Aral Sea in Central Asia

Earthquake damage in Taiwan

Male- Capital of the Maldives Most of the Maldives- and other small island nations- are located only a few feet above sea level. CLIMATE CHANGE threatens to erase these places from the map.

ECONOMIC PUSH FACTORS Population Pressure Weak National Economies Poor Purchasing Power of Inflated Local Currencies Poor Job Market No opportunities for more educated

The attractiveness of a destination region rises and falls along with economic winds. 19th- Early 20th Century

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

DUBAI, 1985

RAVENSTEIN’S LAWS Ravenstein’s laws allow geographers to make generalizations about migration. They ‘govern’ 3 areas: 1.) the DISTANCE of migration 2.) the REASON for migration 3.) the CHARACTERISTICS of migrants

Ravenstein’s laws on DISTANCE OF MIGRATION Most migration is short-distance and within the same country. Long-distance and international migration generally flows toward centers of economic activity.

Ravenstein’s law of REASONS FOR MIGRATION Most people migrate for ECONOMIC reasons. Political & environmental factors cause people to migrate- but not as often as economics.

Ravenstein’s law of CHARACTERISTICS OF MIGRANTS Most long-distance migrants are MALE. Most long-term migrations is by INDIVIDUALS, not by families or other groups.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) recognizes three groups of forced political migrants. A refugee has been forced to migrate to avoid a potential threat to his or her life, and they cannot return for fear of persecution.

An internally displaced person (IDP) is similar to a refugee, but they have not migrated across an international border. Largest number of refugees in 2010 was forced to migrate from Afghanistan and Iraq because of war.

An asylum seeker is someone who has migrated to another country in hope of being recognized as a refugee.

All of these terms differ from the more general name ‘MIGRANT,’ which refers to someone who has chosen to leave their home in search of a better life. REFUGEES are granted special protections in many countries, while MIGRANTS are often given a far less warm welcome.

FIGURE 3-25 POLITICAL FACTORS: REFUGEES AND IDPS The largest numbers of refugees originated in Southwest Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

One last category- CLIMATE REFUGEES (also called environmental refugees) are people FORCED to flee by natural disasters or global warming. Even though they were FORCED to migrate, they ARE NOT ENTITLED TO THE SAME PROTECTIONS AS TRADITIONAL REFUGEES.